Do You Know What's On Your Computer?

I visited my brother yesterday just to socialize and keep up with his well-being. Must admit my visits could improve in terms of quantity, but that's another post. While talking about various subjects, it occurred to me to perform a spontaneous virus scan on his Windows 8-based computer. He literally lives on the machine. As a consumer, he is no slouch and very literate. I asked him about his experiences with Windows 8 , now that he is very comfortable with the system and has been using it for more than a year. He expressed his satisfaction with the system and its ease of use (apps-wise). Just then, I noticed that his search process was being conducted by MyWebsearch and that SweetpackIm was prominently displayed in his Internet Explorer browser. When told that he was being hijacked, he responded that Sweetpacks was just a game engine. So I decided to shock his complacency a little bit. He already had Malwarebytes installed on his machine, so I cranked it up and updated the virus signatures and began a scan of his computer. What happened next shocked him. Malwarebytes reported 47 malware infections on his system within less than 2 minutes of scanning, and among the infections was Sweetpacks! He couldn't believe it. His eyes were popping as more and more infections were discovered on his machine. They had all been quietly doing their damaging work behind the scenes as he used his computer to do legitimate business. Some of them he had used in the course of his daily routine, thinking them, like Sweetpacks, to be harmless applications. Which brings me to today's question: do you know what's on your computer? How many malware infections are running on your system right now, as you read this? Are you further endangering your confidential data by unknowingly harboring malware on your system? You must realize that malware is not harmless! These programs are deployed for one purpose only: to make you a target for unscrupulous entities on the internet! Some of them blatantly steal your information and others expose you to exploitation by cyber-criminals. How do they get on your machine? By bundling them with games, pics and other applications that are mainly distributed for free on the internet. Beware the automatic installers that are prevalent on so many freebie websites. When activated, many of these installers try to bundle the application you chose with unwanted malware. This can happen even on sites that claim to distribute virus-free software. Many are paraded and disguised as anti-malware applications that then set up bogus virus-infection attacks on your system unless you purchase the worthless virus cleaners they are marketing. The best defense against malware infection is to acquire a trusted anti-virus from a reputable security company. Almost every anti-virus program has some user reviews online. It pays to research the programs you decide to use on your machine. Take the time to do the research, especially if you are running a Windows-based machine. Some of the programs I would personally recommend, based on experience, are: Malwarebytes, Avast Antivirus, Spybot Search and Destroy, just to name a few. Also, in the event of infection that prevents you from accessing the internet to find cleaners, Windows Restore function can help to reset your system to a time prior to infection, allowing you to then remove the offending program from your computer. Unfortunately, whatever the reason, every Microsoft operating system has its fair share of viruses and malware dedicated to its dysfunction and Windows 8 is no exception. If nothing else, it seems to be attracting the most attention so far, in my experience. I would recommend, therefore, that every Windows 8 consumer fortify their computer system with a few trusted anti-malware and anti-virus programs immediately.