Both privacy and security with very important factors for users. On many occasions we can be victims of any of the many varieties of malware that are present on the network. This could affect our computers and could lead to intruders entering our computer. Now, how can we know if someone has entered our PC? Can we notice something that alerts us that there may be intruders and therefore take action? In this article we are going to talk about it.
How to know if there are intruders in our PC
Preventing intruders from entering our computer is essential. However, we can be victims of many types of malware that in one way or another can put our security at risk. There are some visible signs that we can quickly see that would alert us to intruders. We can also take into account some functions of the operating system itself to see problems.
Unknown installed programs
One of the most visible signs that we can find is seeing that there are installed programs that we do not know about. There may be intruders who have installed some application in a hidden way to control us or to collect information.
This can happen on computers, but also on mobile devices. We may come across an application icon that we don’t recognize.
Strange files have appeared
It may also happen that strange files appear on our computer. For example Word or Excel documents. Some of those files may be malicious and aim to collect information from victims.
But not only may new files appear, but it could also be the case that some files that we already had appear elsewhere on the computer. Others may end up eliminated.
We notice a malfunction
It is undoubtedly another sign that something is wrong with our PC. This does not mean that we have intruders, but it is another signal that shows us that we must take precautions and find out what the problem is. It could be intruders who have managed to access our equipment and this affects the performance of the system.
Configuration changes
Something also visible is finding changes in the configuration . We are talking for example about options and characteristics of the operating system, about changing the network settings or any other change that appears in the system.
Run Shell: Recent
An interesting option that we have in Windows 10 is to be able to run Shell: Recent and see the most recent changes in the system. We can see if folders or files have been created, if they have been deleted, etc.
For this we have to press the key combination Windows + R and execute Shell: Recent. It will take us to a window where they show us the latest changes with their date. If we see something that doesn’t add up, it could indicate that there are intruders on that PC.
How to avoid system intruders
We have briefly seen how we can know if there are intruders on our PC. Now, the goal should be that that never happens. We must protect the security of our systems and thus also protect privacy.
For this, something basic is going to be having security tools . A good antivirus can prevent the entry of malware that compromises our systems. We can make use of many varieties of software that protects us. This is something that we must apply regardless of the type of operating system we are using.
It will also be essential to have the latest updates installed. Sometimes vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers. This means that they could access our equipment. Therefore, it is essential that we have the latest patches installed and thus correct these problems.
Last, but perhaps most importantly, common sense . There are many techniques that hackers use to attack us. For example, by sending an email containing a malicious attachment. We must not fall into these kinds of traps that could compromise our security.