Infected Computer

No matter how careful we are, our computer may become infected. How to detect it and what to do once the problem happened?

How to detect - the signs to watch out for

• Your computer becomes extremely slow and unresponsive
• Your computer crashes
• You get unwanted, unexpected and recurring pop-ups
• Programs open and close automatically
• Internet traffic suspiciously increases
• You notice unjustified, weird, and unnecessary traffic patterns
• Your antivirus software stopped working or disabled

How to react - the reflexes to adopt

• Remove the machine from the network
• Make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date
• Reboot your computer into safe-mode
• Download and install an anti-spyware program
• Disinfection by antivirus may delete infected system files: The system should then be repaired using an installation disk, or the operating system may need a complete reinstall.

Before performing a reinstall:

• Change passwords
• Make sure your data files are backed up
• If you have a backup, try to restore it.
• Do not forget to reinstall all the necessary updates after the system restore.

Go further:

For more info:

• SOS – I Think my Computer is Infected
• Malware: The type of software you should avoid

Services & Tools:

• CIRCL – Dynamic Malware Analysis Platform
• CIRCL – MISP Threat Intelligence Platform

Training:

• CIRCL – Incident Response
• ROOM #42