If you want to tackle this step yourself, perform a thorough, two-step scan of your system. Just because someone says they fix computers or other electronic devices does not mean they know how to identify and safely remove malware. Be sure to ask your friends and family for references. If you are not very tech savvy, I suggest you take your device to a professional to have it checked for malware. Whom you choose to carry out this step depends on your level of technological expertise. The cost of external hard drives and thumb drives has fallen considerably over the years, and they can store a significant amount of data. If you have never copied your files to a backup device or program, I suggest selecting one of the storage methods mentioned above. Focus on protecting particularly sensitive documents and information as well as irreplaceable files like family photos and videos. If you regularly back up your files using methods like an external hard drive, a USB thumb drive or cloud storage, then you may only need to back up files that have been updated or created since the last backup. Data can be destroyed or erased in the process of recovering from a phishing attack. Now that you are disconnected from the Internet, you should back up your files. This will reduce the risk of malware spreading to other devices on your network, prevent the malware from sending out sensitive information from your device and keep someone from remotely accessing your device. If you cannot locate your Wi-Fi network settings on your device, then go directly to your Wi-Fi router and shut it off. If you are connected through Wi-Fi, locate the Wi-Fi settings on your device and disconnect from the current network. If you are using a wired connection, the easiest way to do this is to unplug the Internet cable (ethernet cord) from your computer. The first thing you need to do is immediately disconnect the compromised device from the Internet. If you happen to make the mistake of clicking on a phishing link or downloading a malicious attachment, follow these steps to minimize the repercussions. What to Do If You Click on a Phishing Link For tips on how to protect yourself from these messages, read How to Spot a Phishing Email. Since these scams are increasingly sophisticated, there is a high probability either you or someone who uses your devices will fall victim to phishing at some point. Unfortunately, phishing messages are becoming harder and harder to identify. Once the malware has been installed, it could harvest your sensitive information, send out more phishing messages to contacts in your address book or provide a cyber-criminal with remote access to your device. This is all done behind the scenes, so it is undetectable to the average user. What Happens If You Click on a Phishing Link?Ĭlicking on a phishing link or opening an attachment in one of these messages may install malware, like viruses, spyware or ransomware, on your device.
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