We use cookies to make your experience better. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
Malware & Virus Removal
Malware attacks which includes viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, worms, rootkits and keyloggers are becoming more frequent and more serious. Malware removal is a tricky business whether it be from a PC or a Mac.
Attacks can change the look of your internet browser, your home page, slow down your computer, send information about which web sites you are visiting and when, copy addresses from your address books, send emails from your PC or Mac, copy files and programs to your system without your knowledge.
Malware infections can be difficult problems to correct. Our experts will identify malware problems, ensure malware removal and get you back online with restored confidence in your PC or Mac.
Wait, Macs can get infected too?
Yes, the myth that Macs can't get infected is unfortunately not true and malware specifically targeted at Macs is becoming more and more prevalent as Macs become more popular.
What is Malware?
Malware stands for MALicious SoftWARE and comprises of a number of types of software designed to infiltrate or damage your computer without your knowledge. These include:
Trojans – These are probably the most dangerous kind of Malware because they have a simple target; your personal and financial information or your computer’s system resources. This is why Trojans rarely disrupt your computer, or even destroy files, making them difficult to stop, even with the right tools.
Rootkits – These are designed to hide themselves in the early stages of the operating system loading. They require human intervention to be installed and you are typically tricked into installing them by various offers. They are the hardest of all Malware to detect and therefore difficult to remove.
Viruses – Probably the most well known type of Malware and has made headlines in the mainstream media. Although once popular, they are easy to detect and contain as they were often spread via email.
Worms – These vary from viruses in that they rely on exploits within a computer to spread. Worms tend not to infect other files but create their own instance and then seek out other computers to infect. Worms then open backdoors so that remote hackers can access your system.
Spyware – This is software that spies on you by tracking your internet activities in order to present targeted advertising. The author also collects this data and sells the information on to other organisations.
Adware – This is not really dangerous software but it proves very lucrative for its author because Adware displays ads on your computer. The level of advertising depends on the author but the small text in the licensing agreement – which we hardly ever read – means that you’ve agreed to it. However, constant pop ups become rather annoying and the author doesn’t always make it easy to remove the software.
Keyloggers – This type of Malware logs all the keystrokes you make to log sensitive information such as passwords and financial details. This information is then accessed by the hacker either via a backdoor or by sending the information back to a remote server.
The intention for the authors of Malware is usually commercial or criminal gain or simply destructive purposes but however you got infected, our experts can remove all of the above type of Malware (and other less common ones) putting your PC or Mac back to work at maximum power.
How did I get infected?
Not too long ago email was the most popular way to spread viruses but this technique now makes up for less than 3% of the infection methods. Nowadays infection usually occurs via hosted websites. Innocent looking adware collect adverts from the internet which then downloads additional malware without your knowledge.
Other infections occur through “hi-jacked” websites that download content when you view them. These sites then take advantage of exploits within your set up, usually a bug in the browser, to gain access to your system and install rogue software.
Be especially careful with programs you download from the Internet. Many free programs, especially those from P2P applications, could contain malware.
