You know it happens, but you never really thought it would happen to you. Your computer has been hacked, and panic has taken hold. What do you do? Here are some tips for getting past the hack.
Turn to Backups
Do you own backup software for your computer and is it turned on and functioning properly? Hopefully, the answer to those questions is yes because your best chance of recovering your computer’s files after a hack is through a backup.
As soon as you discover that your computer was hacked, work with the provider of your backup software to restore the last backup from before the hacking. Avoid using your computer for any reason until the hacking is resolve.
If your computer hasn’t been hacked, but you haven’t yet invested in backup software, install it today. Backup software is a worthy investment and is the equivalent of an insurance policy against many possible computer problems.
Change Your Passwords
Worried about your personal online accounts being compromised after a computer hacking? You should be. Take swift action and change passwords on all online accounts from another computer or tablet.
By promptly changing all passwords to your online accounts from another device, you’ll minimize the chances of your valuable personal information being stolen. As a rule of thumb, never store your social security number, bank account numbers or other relevant information within your computer’s file storage systems.
Follow Anti Virus Software Recommendations
Have you just found out that your computer is compromised from an alert issued by your computer’s anti-virus software? If so, follow the recommendations of that software to remove the threats. If followed promptly, those recommendations should remove any viruses that are detected. To be entirely sure that all viruses are removed, you may want to restore the computer to the last backup.
Re-Install
Is a particular software program on your computer infected with a virus? If so, you’ll likely need to re-install the program. Get help from the software’s support staff. Keep in mind that any advice you receive from the software’s support staff will likely only be free if the program is still under warranty or if the program is cloud-based and includes a monthly rental fee.
Seek Professional Assistance
According to My Computer Has Been Hacked Now What, you may want to seek professional assistance after your computer has been hacked. A professional who is experienced in resolving computer issues can quickly discover what’s wrong and take action to solve the problems. Leaving the computer hacking in the hands of a professional may just be the action that prevents the problem from being worse than it has to be.
You never thought it would happen. But it has happened. Your computer is compromised. Get past the hack by turning to your last backup, by immediately changing account passwords and more.