A skilled hacker won’t leave any trace behind, but often times, hackers leave behind a trail of destruction that will leave your devices malfunctioning. Whether it’s a phone, computer, or even a smart TV, they are all subject to possible hacking. Here are four key and clear signs that your device has been hacked.
Sudden Slow Down
Malicious software typically runs in the background the entire time you are using your device, secretly using all of its resources and stealing information. Though you won’t know the software is running, you may notice that your computer randomly starts getting slower, freezing, and sometimes even crashing completely.
Your videos may begin to buffer more than usual and web pages start to take longer to load. This is a key sign of a virus or worm in your device.
Spiked Data Usage
On every device, there are tools to keep track of how much data you are using on a monthly basis. You want to check this regularly to ensure you are keeping your data usage at a consistent, low rate.
If you notice that your data usage has spiked randomly in a short period of time, this is a sign that you’ve been hacked. Malicious software increases your data usage because it’s constantly working in the background of your device to generate profit for hackers.
Crashing Programs
If the virus is serious enough, your task manager tool and even antivirus software can begin to crash. This is a sign that you were hacked, and the hacker has gotten a hold of critical files in your device and action should be taken immediately to avoid significant data loss.
A disaster recovery plan is so important to prevent data loss in situations like this because data can be stolen very quickly. Apps and programs that were once reliable may not be able to open anymore and you may not be able to click on specific files.
Pop-Up Ads
If your device is protected by antivirus software, you rarely come across those annoying pop up ads. However, if a hacker has breached your network security, unwanted ads may begin to pop up on your device.
These ads will try and get you to click on them and if you do, hackers can install more malicious software onto your device. Hackers can even alter standard ads that you typically see on your device to make them malicious.
Contact J&P PC Solutions Today for Your Data Recovery Plan!
J&P PC Solutions is Baltimore’s Premier IT Consulting and Managed Services Firm. J&P went independent in February of 2018 and specialize in providing customized IT support and service for all industries including data management, construction, mental health, and more.
We are dedicated to providing 24/7 solution-oriented, professional service to all of our clients. For your disaster recovery plan or other IT services, give us a call at (443)-588-5808 or contact us on our website!
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