25 millions devices infected by the Android malware Agent Smith
9 undeniable signs that you have been hacked or that your personal data is compromised
Many malicious individuals make a large amount of money that way. They are actually paid when you visit these sites full of ads, or click on them. The easiest way to test if you are redirected to third-party sites is to do a simple internet search for a common term, for example "cat". If the results displayed seem to be a repetition of the same websites, or websites that have nothing to do with your search, chances are high that your device has been hacked.
If you are absolutely sure that you have entered your password correctly and despite several attempts it does not work, chances are good that you have unfortunately been hacked and your personal data is compromised.
Despite the fact that the toolbars seem to indicate that they are there to make your life easier, most of the time they are stealing your personal data and sending it to a malicious individual. Any toolbars or extensions you have not installed can potentially be a threat to your computer and your personal life.
This famous sign that you have been hacked is probably one of the most irritating. Indeed, when pop-ups appear in sites that usually do not have one, your system has most likely been infected in some way. Much like website redirections, malicious individuals make money against your will using this method.
The installation of unknown software is one of the most obvious signs that your machine is under the control of a malicious individual. These software are usually Trojans, the latter allowing hackers to control your computer remotely.
You turn on your computer or mobile device, and suddenly a message telling you that your system is infected with several viruses appears. Of course, the message proposes to eliminate these threats for you. These messages can either come from your legitimate antivirus software and are therefore safe, or from a malicious software trying to infect your device.
Malicious people often use this method to infect large numbers of people in a short period of time. Likewise, if one of your friends clicks on the link, the malicious software will then send the link to all your friend's friends, and so on. The infection speed is exponential. The link usually offers something attractive to the user so he is more likely to click.
If your mouse seems to do things by itself, such as running programs, making selections and so on, chances are that it is a malicious individual who is moving it. A technique that some hackers use is to wait until the computer has been inactive for a while, then take control of it in order to steal bank data or other information that may be lucrative for the individual.
Seeing his screen suddenly display text asking to pay a ransom is extremely frightening. Indeed, malicious software such as Ransomware are very popular, and among the most dangerous. They recently came back into fashion following a slight decline in activity a few years ago: Ransomware is an extremely lucrative means for malicious individuals, costing billions of dollars every year, estimated at 11.5 billion in 2019. Hospitals, small and large companies, police control centers, entire cities and individuals who do not necessarily have large amounts of money are all at risk of being infected by these software. Moreover, paying the ransom is unfortunately, most of the time, a terrible bad idea.
