{"id":41992,"date":"2022-09-20T12:14:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T02:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/?p=41992"},"modified":"2023-09-20T17:02:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T07:02:29","slug":"how-to-protect-yourself-against-malware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-protect-yourself-against-malware\/","title":{"rendered":"How to protect yourself against malware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"cta-banner cta-banner--black\">\n    <div class=\"cta-banner__inner\">\n    <h2 class=\"cta-banner__title\">Book a Digital Security Check today<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"cta-banner__text\">Worried about being hacked, scammed or attacked with a virus? You need a Geek. \r\n\r\nIf online safety is a concern of yours, book a Digital Security Check today with us to help protect yourself from cybercrime.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"cta-banner__buttons\">\n      \n      \n      \n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/digital-security-check\/\" class=\"button button--red\">\n          <span>\n                          <svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMinYMin\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#shield\"><\/use>\n              <\/svg>\n                        Find out more          <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>They used to be called \u201cComputer Viruses\u201d, back when most of that kind of software was more destructive than it was financially based, but these days you\u2019re more likely to hear or read about malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Malware is short for \u201cmalicious software\u201d, and it\u2019s quite a broad term that covers any kind of application designed to harm a computer\u2019s operation or the activities of its user. That can cover maliciously destroying or limiting access to files, hijacking computer resources for other purposes or spying on user activity on that computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Protect Yourself Against: Malware | Geeks2U Tech Support\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s3A5n7Qvheo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta flex no-wrap align-center\">\n  <a href=\"tel:1300 769 448\" aria-label=\"Call Geeks2U\" class=\"button is-call tellink \">\n  <div class=\"icon phone\">\n    <svg width=\"2rem\" height=\"2rem\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMinYMin\">\n      <path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M11.8,29.9c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.2,0c-2.3-0.6-4.3-1.7-6-3.3c-1.7-1.6-2.8-3.6-3.5-5.8c-0.1-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1\n      c0.5-0.1,1,0.1,1.1,0.6c0.5,1.9,1.5,3.6,3,5c1.5,1.4,3.2,2.4,5.2,2.9c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.7,1.1C12.6,29.6,12.2,29.9,11.8,29.9z\n      M12,26.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.2,0c-1.4-0.4-2.7-1.1-3.7-2.1c-1-0.9-1.7-2.1-2.1-3.3c-0.2-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1c0.5-0.2,1,0.1,1.1,0.6\n      c0.3,1,0.9,1.8,1.6,2.6c0.8,0.8,1.8,1.4,2.9,1.7c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.6,1.1C12.7,26.1,12.4,26.4,12,26.4z M25.2,13.6\n      c-0.4,0-0.7-0.3-0.9-0.6c-0.3-1.1-0.9-2-1.7-2.8c-0.8-0.7-1.7-1.3-2.7-1.6c-0.5-0.1-0.7-0.7-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.7,1.1-0.6\n      c1.3,0.4,2.4,1.1,3.4,2c1,1,1.8,2.2,2.2,3.6c0.1,0.5-0.1,1-0.6,1.1C25.3,13.6,25.3,13.6,25.2,13.6z M28.8,13.4\n      c-0.4,0-0.8-0.3-0.9-0.7c-0.5-1.9-1.5-3.6-3-5c-1.5-1.4-3.2-2.4-5.2-2.9c-0.5-0.1-0.8-0.6-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.8,1.1-0.6\n      c2.3,0.6,4.3,1.7,6,3.3c1.7,1.7,2.9,3.6,3.5,5.8c0.1,0.5-0.2,1-0.6,1.1C29,13.4,28.9,13.4,28.8,13.4z\"\/>\n      <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M23.3,25.5c-3.4,0-7.1-1.8-10.5-5.1c-2.6-2.5-5.6-6.5-5.2-11.1C7.7,8,9.2,6.1,10.9,5.7c1.9-0.5,3,0.8,3.4,1.3\n      c0.5,0.6,1.8,2.3,2.3,3.2c0.6,1.1,0.3,2.6-0.6,3.4c-0.2,0.2-0.3,0.5-0.3,0.8c0,0.3,0.1,0.5,0.3,0.7c0.8,0.7,1.1,1,1.2,1.1l1.1,1.1\n      c0.6,0.6,1.4,0.2,1.6,0c0.9-0.9,2.3-1.2,3.5-0.6c0.9,0.4,2.7,1.7,3.3,2.2c1.2,1,1.7,2.1,1.3,3.3c-0.5,1.6-2.5,3.2-3.8,3.3\n      C23.9,25.5,23.6,25.5,23.3,25.5z M11.7,7.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.3,0c-0.9,0.2-2,1.6-2,2.1c-0.4,3.9,2.3,7.4,4.7,9.6\n      C16,21,19.8,24,24,23.7c0.5,0,1.9-1,2.2-2c0.1-0.4,0-0.8-0.7-1.4c-0.6-0.5-2.2-1.6-3-2c-0.5-0.2-1.1-0.1-1.4,0.2\n      c-1,1-2.9,1.3-4.2,0.1l-1.1-1.1c0,0,0,0,0,0c0,0-0.2-0.2-1.1-1c-0.6-0.5-0.9-1.2-0.9-2c0-0.8,0.3-1.6,0.9-2.1\n      c0.4-0.3,0.5-0.9,0.2-1.3c-0.3-0.7-1.5-2.2-2.1-2.9C12.5,7.6,12.1,7.4,11.7,7.4z\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/div>\n  <span>1300 769 448<\/span><\/a><p> or complete our <button aria-label=\"Request a Callback\" class=\"bold red open-modal\">online enquiry<\/button> form today to set up an appointment with a computer repair technician<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What kinds of malware are there?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Malware is constantly evolving, so defining it is a tricky business. Some forms of malware can be used for a variety of attacks, so that if one avenue doesn\u2019t work for the malware author, another one might. So, while malware can take in viruses, rootkits, worms and other forms, it\u2019s really what the malware wants to do \u2013 or wants from you \u2013 that\u2019s important here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Malware can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ransomware<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This is software that encrypts your documents \u2013 and often the entire operating system of your computer \u2013 locking it down and demanding payment if you want access back to your computer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Spyware<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Malware of this type watches, records and reports what you\u2019re doing on your computer. It\u2019s often used with keylogging applications that can then try to discern (for example) your login passwords for online banking services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Adware<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of malware tries to serve up unwanted advertising \u2013 often quite a lot of it \u2013 in order to get money from advertising companies. If you open up your web browser and you\u2019re hit with hundreds of pop-up windows, you could well be an adware victim. Note that just having ads present on a website isn\u2019t absolute proof of adware being present<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Botnets<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Some malware isn\u2019t so interested in you as it is your computer and its online capabilities. Botnet malware takes over some or all of the internet functions of your computer, often to then mass attack other online services. If you think of it like a road, if your car and thousands of others tried to get on the one stretch of highway, it would quickly slow to a crawl or stop completely. That\u2019s the essence of what\u2019s called a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack, and it relies on having thousands of botnet infected computers to call on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can I protect myself against Malware?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-1024x550.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-1024x550.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-150x81.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-600x323.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-900x484.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1-1100x591.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Malware-CAM-1-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep your computer and devices up to date<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of malware relies on weaknesses and exploits that take advantage of code errors in operating systems and some file types. Making sure that you\u2019re up to date with the latest operating system updates, security patches and firmware updates across your devices is a must to ensure that even if malware reaches your system, it can\u2019t do any harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use good anti-virus software<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The battle between antivirus software vendors and malware writers is a constant cat-and-mouse game, and it\u2019s been the case for decades now. Still, it\u2019s worth being protected, because while AV software has both a financial cost and a small cost in terms of processing power, it beats having your system wiped or your bank accounts drained via malware. Bear in mind that you do also need to keep your AV software up to date via subscription. It\u2019s not just enough to buy it once, sadly. Also, if you figure that malware\u2019s only a problem for folks who visit dodgy websites (however you define dodgy), think again. It\u2019s very common for malware writers to try to embed malware installs in flaws in reputable websites too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Be careful about what you install or open<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>That \u201cfree\u201d copy of a big paid application you found online might not be so consequence-free if it\u2019s riddled with malware. Likewise, malware writers have been known to hide their dodgy code within some file types, using specific application weaknesses to run their code in the background even if they appear to be a genuine file. If a file asks for extra permissions to run in a way that you didn\u2019t expect, it may be unwise to allow it to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Back up your files regularly<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If the worst happens, and you fall victim to ransomware or malware that wipes out your computer\u2019s operating system, it\u2019s usually possible to reinstall that computer back to a blank slate, like it was when you first purchased it. You\u2019re back on deck\u2026 but all your own files are irretrievably gone. Gone, that is, unless you remembered to back them up on a regular basis. While backup can be a touch slow and a bit boring, you\u2019ll thank yourself if you ever have to recover those files after a malware disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More cyber security tips and tricks to help to keep you safe online:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/what-is-phishing\/\">How to avoid a phishing attack<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-prevent-your-passwords-from-being-hacked\/\">How to prevent your passwords being hacked<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-online-shopping-scams\/\">How to spot an online shopping scam<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-can-you-avoid-identity-theft\/\">How to keep your identity safe online<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/geekspeak\/how-to-prevent-catfishing\/\">How to prevent catfishing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Secure your small business from cyber threats with our tailored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/small-business-digital-health-check\/\">cyber security solutions<\/a> &#8211; safeguard your data, protect your reputation, and ensure peace of mind.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta flex no-wrap align-center\">\n  <a href=\"tel:1300 769 448\" aria-label=\"Call Geeks2U\" class=\"button is-call tellink \">\n  <div class=\"icon phone\">\n    <svg width=\"2rem\" height=\"2rem\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMinYMin\">\n      <path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M11.8,29.9c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.2,0c-2.3-0.6-4.3-1.7-6-3.3c-1.7-1.6-2.8-3.6-3.5-5.8c-0.1-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1\n      c0.5-0.1,1,0.1,1.1,0.6c0.5,1.9,1.5,3.6,3,5c1.5,1.4,3.2,2.4,5.2,2.9c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.7,1.1C12.6,29.6,12.2,29.9,11.8,29.9z\n      M12,26.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.2,0c-1.4-0.4-2.7-1.1-3.7-2.1c-1-0.9-1.7-2.1-2.1-3.3c-0.2-0.5,0.1-1,0.6-1.1c0.5-0.2,1,0.1,1.1,0.6\n      c0.3,1,0.9,1.8,1.6,2.6c0.8,0.8,1.8,1.4,2.9,1.7c0.5,0.1,0.8,0.6,0.6,1.1C12.7,26.1,12.4,26.4,12,26.4z M25.2,13.6\n      c-0.4,0-0.7-0.3-0.9-0.6c-0.3-1.1-0.9-2-1.7-2.8c-0.8-0.7-1.7-1.3-2.7-1.6c-0.5-0.1-0.7-0.7-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.7,1.1-0.6\n      c1.3,0.4,2.4,1.1,3.4,2c1,1,1.8,2.2,2.2,3.6c0.1,0.5-0.1,1-0.6,1.1C25.3,13.6,25.3,13.6,25.2,13.6z M28.8,13.4\n      c-0.4,0-0.8-0.3-0.9-0.7c-0.5-1.9-1.5-3.6-3-5c-1.5-1.4-3.2-2.4-5.2-2.9c-0.5-0.1-0.8-0.6-0.6-1.1c0.1-0.5,0.6-0.8,1.1-0.6\n      c2.3,0.6,4.3,1.7,6,3.3c1.7,1.7,2.9,3.6,3.5,5.8c0.1,0.5-0.2,1-0.6,1.1C29,13.4,28.9,13.4,28.8,13.4z\"\/>\n      <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M23.3,25.5c-3.4,0-7.1-1.8-10.5-5.1c-2.6-2.5-5.6-6.5-5.2-11.1C7.7,8,9.2,6.1,10.9,5.7c1.9-0.5,3,0.8,3.4,1.3\n      c0.5,0.6,1.8,2.3,2.3,3.2c0.6,1.1,0.3,2.6-0.6,3.4c-0.2,0.2-0.3,0.5-0.3,0.8c0,0.3,0.1,0.5,0.3,0.7c0.8,0.7,1.1,1,1.2,1.1l1.1,1.1\n      c0.6,0.6,1.4,0.2,1.6,0c0.9-0.9,2.3-1.2,3.5-0.6c0.9,0.4,2.7,1.7,3.3,2.2c1.2,1,1.7,2.1,1.3,3.3c-0.5,1.6-2.5,3.2-3.8,3.3\n      C23.9,25.5,23.6,25.5,23.3,25.5z M11.7,7.4c-0.1,0-0.2,0-0.3,0c-0.9,0.2-2,1.6-2,2.1c-0.4,3.9,2.3,7.4,4.7,9.6\n      C16,21,19.8,24,24,23.7c0.5,0,1.9-1,2.2-2c0.1-0.4,0-0.8-0.7-1.4c-0.6-0.5-2.2-1.6-3-2c-0.5-0.2-1.1-0.1-1.4,0.2\n      c-1,1-2.9,1.3-4.2,0.1l-1.1-1.1c0,0,0,0,0,0c0,0-0.2-0.2-1.1-1c-0.6-0.5-0.9-1.2-0.9-2c0-0.8,0.3-1.6,0.9-2.1\n      c0.4-0.3,0.5-0.9,0.2-1.3c-0.3-0.7-1.5-2.2-2.1-2.9C12.5,7.6,12.1,7.4,11.7,7.4z\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/div>\n  <span>1300 769 448<\/span><\/a><p> or complete our <button aria-label=\"Request a Callback\" class=\"bold red open-modal\">online enquiry<\/button> form today to set up an appointment with a computer repair technician<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>They used to be called \u201cComputer Viruses\u201d, back when most of that kind of software was more destructive than it was financially based, but these&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":41994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[326],"tags":[245],"class_list":["post-41992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scams","tag-security"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41992"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44913,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41992\/revisions\/44913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geeks2u.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}