Some malware can enable cybercriminals to obtain your credit card numbers or payment account information when you enter them online. Some types of malware can give cybercriminals access to your usernames and passwords for accounts like your bank, online shopping, credit card accounts or email. Defending against malware means defending against stolen login credentials, stolen personal information, and the risk of personal information loss due to such things. Malware can give cybercriminals access to your personal information. What do you do online that can expose your personal or financial information? What don’t you do online these days?Ī virus doesn’t mean your computer has caught a cold. How does malware put your computer at risk? Your smartphone battery drains quickly, or shows call/text messages you didn’t send.Friends tell you they got a suspicious email from you that you definitely didn’t send.Pop-up windows appear when you’re surfing.While many types of malware try to remain unseen, in addition to keeping up-to-date security software on your device, you can be on the lookout for some red flags that might indicate a malware infection: This is why it’s so important to have antivirus software that recognizes and helps remove malicious software.

Malware that you might not realize is on your device could be capturing data as you log into online accounts, finding valuable personal information stored on your device, or even turning on your webcam without your permission. Just as different types of software perform different functions, so different types of malware can perform different jobs, whether they make themselves apparent or run on your device while hiding in the background.

Unlike the old days, when malware like viruses often announced themselves by displaying messages or by giving your computer the “blue screen of death,” many types of malware today can hide without producing any tell-tale symptoms of an infection.

Some types of malware “announce” themselves, while others can hide on your device

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