Malware has been a problem for some years but it has never remained static. The types of exploits and malware continue to grow along with technology and have become more sophisticated over the years. Ransomware is one such type of virus that has been grabbing lots of headlines in recent years. But how can people tell if their computers have been infected by this especially pernicious crypto-virus?

1. You Can’t Open Files

One thing that ransomware attack does is to encrypt computer files so that they can’t be opened any more. This can include documents, photos, or any other file type. In the early stages of the malware infection, the virus starts to encrypt files. If anyone suddenly finds that some files can’t be opened all of a sudden, it might be due to this nasty crypto-virus.

2. Email Contacts Are Getting Lots of Messages

Malware such as this loves to spread as far and as wide to other people’s computers as possible. One common method of doing this is to hijack an email contact list and email itself everywhere. If email contacts start to complain about receiving spam, there could be a virus at work.

3. Pop-up Windows Suddenly Start Appearing

Many people run pop-up blockers in their web browsers these days. Many types of malware like to deactivate these pop-up blockers. If pop-ups suddenly start appearing for no apparent reason, there might be a malware problem.

Likewise, malware will usually try to deactivate firewalls and anti-virus protection. They may suddenly stop working or not start at all when the computer starts.

4. Computer Gets Very Slow and Glitchy

Many types of malware use a lot of computer resources in the background to do their work. This can impact the speed of the computer and may even cause glitches during software operations.

Any sudden changes in this context such as slow boot times, programs that slow down to a crawl, or a general dysfunction in computer operation might be due to malware.

5. Firewall Starts Reporting Unusual Activity

Many malware infections try to “call back home” or access remote sites from an infected computer. Installed firewall software might start to report unusual connections happening from programs if the firewall itself has not yet been disabled.

Conclusion

Ransomware is a relatively new form of computer virus that likes to encrypt files and force a user to pay in untraceable cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. The good news is that being aware of some of the most common signs of early malware infection could prevent more harm.