Malware Red Flag If you Experience this!!!

[lionheart78]

I noticed that there are lots of malware incident thread and malware awareness thread recently so I wanted to contribute a little about it.  While looking at the internet I found a good site that discusses about Malware and how our pc behave if it has one.  If you wanted to jump to the site you can check it here: Computer Infected With Malware? Look for These Red Flags  but for convenience, I will state it in list form here for easier reading.

• Red Flag: The computer is slow even if there is enough RAM and availabe Disk Space
  
  • Symptoms: slow boot-up and program running slow
  • Possible Cause:  malware is hogging the system
  • Action:  check through task manager and investigate which file is hoarding resources and investigate the file.
• Red Flag: Constant Crashing
  
  • Symptoms: random reboots, freezes and errors
  • Possible Cause: behavior like this often point to malware messing things up behind the scene
  • Action: save work often and take note any error message received, it may give clues to identify the culprit.
• Red Flag: Pop-ups Everywhere:
  
  • Symptoms:random pop up advertising sites, fake anti-virus etc.:
  • Possible Cause:Malware LOVES to spam you with this dreck
  • Action: don't explore just close and run a malware  scan as soon as possible. Never click that ads no matter how urgent it seem.
• Red Flag: Hijacked Settings
  
  • Symptoms: switches back to some weird site no matter how you adjust to preferred settings
  • Possible Cause:Malware loves to override your browser settings again and again.
  • Action: check browser setting and remove any suspicious extension or add-ons.
• Red Flag: New Toolbars You Didn’t Install  
  
  • Symptoms: new toolbar appearing out of the blue.
  • Possible Cause: unwanted add-ons often sneak in alongside “free” programs and can spy on your surfing habits or blast you with ads.
  • Action:  Uninstall unfamiliar toolbars and be wary of freeware that tries to sneak in extras
• Red Flag: Disabled Defenses
  
  • Symptoms: built-in security features like Window Firewall and Window Defender disabled
  • Possible Cause: some nasty malware infection with a penchant for leaving the door wide open for more trouble.
  • Action: turn your security settings back on. If you can’t, it’s time for a full system scan from bootable rescue media.
• Red Flag: Mysterious New Programs
  
  • Symptoms: Strange, unfamiliar programs have suddenly made themselves at home in your app list.
  • Possible Cause:  Chances are they hitched a ride with some malware.
  • Action: Scrutinize new programs carefully – if you don’t remember installing something, it doesn’t belong. Google any suspect program names to see if they’re legit. When in doubt, uninstall!
• Red Flag:Ransom Demand
  
  • Symptoms: messages demanding payment to unlock files
  • Possible Cause: Ransomware is a particularly nasty type of malware that holds your data hostage  
  • Action: Restore from a backup.  Have a habbit of regular backup up this will save you lots of money.
• Red Flag: “From: Hacked Buddy”
  
  • Symptoms: sending contacts weird links or cringy spam emails that you don't actually do.
  • Possible Cause: Malware frequently raids your contacts so it can spread far and wide.
  • Action: Change your email password ASAP and warn your contacts not to open anything strange from your address.  
• Red Flag: Disabled Task Manager
  
  • Symptoms: Ctrl+Alt+Delete does nothing and Task Manager is nowhere to be found.
  • Possible Cause: Some malware is wise to these tricks and deactivates Task Manager to stop snooping
  • Action:Try booting into Safe Mode – it may let you access Task Manager. If not, opt for an alternative process explorer.
• Red Flag: Scary Error Messages
  
  • Symptoms: Bizarre pop-up errors
  • Possible Cause: Some malware or malicious websites use scripted pop-ups or fake error dialogs (often via JavaScript or HTML)  
  • Action: Close pop-up windows without clicking anything, google the exact wording to see if others have hit the same snag before.
• Red Flag: Mystery Charges
  
  • Symptoms: Unexplained charges
  • Possible Cause: Financial malware is no joke. This kind of fraudulent activity targets your bank and other financial account
  • Action: Call your credit card company or bank right away. Consider freezing your accounts until the situation is resolved.
• Red Flag: Access Denied!
  
  • Symptoms: Suddenly you can’t access your flash drive or external hard drive or share folder on the network.
  • Possible Cause: Sometimes malware blocks access to drives to keep you from discovering its hidey-holes.  
  • Action: Try booting into Safe Mode to regain access. If there is no luck you may need to use a rescue disk to repair file permissions.
• Red Flag: Vanishing Valuables
  
  • Symptoms: Your files are disappearing.
  • Possible Cause: Certain awful strains of malware (ransomware) delete your most precious data or hold it hostage to extort payment.  
  • Action: First, check your Recycle Bin or try file recovery software do this ASAP  
• Red Flag: Fake Antivirus Alerts
  
  • Symptoms: An antivirus program you don’t recognize starts hollering that you’re infected and need to “click here” to clean your system  
  • Possible Cause: Malware that sends phony alerts pressure you into downloading more malware or paying for useless “security” software.  
  • Action: Ignore any urgent demands for payment or personal info. Google the program name – if it’s a known scam, removal guides can help.
• Red Flag: Redirected Internet Searches
  
  • Symptoms:  You search for “adorable kittens,” but instead of fluffy cuteness, you get sketchy sites hawking male enhancement pills.
  • Possible Cause: Search redirects are a tried-and-true malware trick.  
  • Action: Time to steer your browser back to safety! Check for funky new toolbars, extensions, and homepage settings in your browser. Uninstall any surprises!
• Red Flag: Strange Network Activity
  
  • Symptoms: when your bandwidth usage is high up when you are just idle without any internet browser being launched
  • Possible Cause:  Malware could be the culprit. Sneaky strains will leech off your connection to fuel botnets and other shady schemes.
  • Action: Use a network monitoring tool to see which programs are hogging data, then investigate any unfamiliar resource hogs.
• Red Flag: You’re Locked out of Your Computer
  
  • Symptoms: inexplicably barred from your own computer,
  • Possible Cause: potentially serious infection on your hands.
  • Action: Try booting into Safe Mode. Some malware only runs in normal boot. If you still can’t log in, it’s time for professional help.
• Red Flag: Your Computer Talks to You
  
  • Symptoms: your computer suddenly starts blaring audio ads, sirens, or weird robotic voices at full volume
  • Possible Cause: an auditory assault designed to scare you into calling fake tech support numbers or buying bogus security software.
  • Action: Mute your speakers, run a full system scan, and check for unusual programs in your startup list.
• Red Flag: PC Possessed!
  
  • Symptoms: Computer go totally haywire. Programs launching by themselves, files disappearing, the dreaded Blue Screen of Death  
  • Possible Cause: Trojan horses are notorious for this kind of erratic behavior.
  • Action: Back up your important files if you still can, run a full system scan, and call in the pros. A complete reformat may be the only way to banish the digital demons for good.  
• Red Flag:. Your Cursor Moves on Its Own
  
  • Symptoms: your mouse pointer making selections you didn’t click
  • Possible Cause: malware can secretly control your mouse, making it seem like an invisible hand is at the helm
  • Action:  Scan for malware immediately and consider booting into Safe Mode for cleanup.

After taking the initial action when spotting this Red flags, we must make sure that:

• the security software is updated
• Run a thorough malware and antivirus scan.
• In severe cases, though, your best bet may be wiping your system clean and reinstalling Windows.

Always remember prevention is the key!!!

Don't click suspicious link, you can check this site for 21 Tips to Check If a Link Is Safe Before You Click
Be informed on how hackers infect their victims^[1][2][3]

Additional reference(s):
https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/warning-signs-operating-system-infected-malware/#scenario1

[1] https://www.esedsl.com/en/blog/the-15-most-common-hacking-techniques
[2] https://intellicomp.net/blog-post/hacking-methods/
[3] https://www.rapid7.com/fundamentals/types-of-attacks/

[katanic97]

You’ve covered everything perfectly, and it’s very useful. I had the same situation a few years ago. I’d also add two more red flags that i’ve unfortunately experienced.


Red Flag: Loud fan & overheating without reason
Symptoms: The computer gets excessively hot or the fan operates at maximum speed, even when you're not performing any resource heavy tasks.
Possible Cause: Malicious software utilizing your CPU to mine cryptocurrency.
Action: Open task manager and check CPU usage. If you see suspicious processes ,nvestigate them, terminate them, and scan the system.



Red Flag: Constant "Update" Prompts
Symptoms: Programs or apps repeatedly ask you to update, even though you already have the latest version installed.
Possible Cause: Malware may be using these fake "update" notifications to lure you into downloading more harmful software without realizing it.
Action: Visit the official website of the app to check for updates, or use a reliable tool like Windows Update to keep things up to date automatically.

[Lucius]

~snip~
After taking the initial action when spotting this Red flags, we must make sure that:

• the security software is updated
• Run a thorough malware and antivirus scan.
• In severe cases, though, your best bet may be wiping your system clean and reinstalling Windows.

For the vast majority of the things you mentioned, only the third option makes sense - although I think I read somewhere that there is malware that can even isolate itself on the HDD and thus avoid deletion even when formatting the disk.
Maybe a fourth option would be to buy a new HDD.

Always remember prevention is the key!!!

I completely agree, it is better to prevent something like that from happening, but in order for someone to succeed in this, he must be very careful and know what he is doing online at all times. A lot of people still download pirated software and various multimedia without realizing what they can actually download with such files.

[albon]

Computer camera or disk manager works without user intervention

Possible Cause: Symptoms indicate the device is infected with a Trojan due to downloading an infected program.

Action: Quickly disconnect your computer from the internet immediately to prevent hackers from stealing data. If possible, perform a comprehensive scan of your computer as soon as you can. The best solution may be to install a new operating system on the computer.

Thank you, OP, for sharing this important topic. I hope that anyone who encounters such red flags will apply the necessary security measures, because there is a 100% chance that their computer will be compromised, exposing their data and crypto wallets to the risk of theft.