How Can Malicious Software be removed using ANTIVIRUS?

 

How Can Malicious Software be removed using ANTIVIRUS?

If you think your computer is infected, you should take the necessary measures as quickly as possible. Generally speaking, there is no established way of proceeding to remove malicious software. An Internet search will provide you with information on the symptoms caused by malware infection, as well as the procedure to remove it. This search should not be carried out from the damaged computer, but it is best that you disconnect it from the network and turn it off before the malware causes further damage.

Remove malware from computers using Antivirus Software

If you suspect that malware has taken over your computer, follow these steps:

• Start your computer in safe mode (malware will not load on it). If you have Windows as your operating system, press the F8 key and wait until you can log in. In the menu, choose the option "Safe mode with networking", since you need to have Internet access to carry out the rest of the actions.

• The next step is to scan the computer with the antivirus software. You need to check if you have the latest version. If not, update it, even though it can only recognize and defeat known malicious programs, which is why an antivirus never offers global security. Some viruses even have the ability to hide from antivirus programs. 

• In addition to the antivirus already used, it is advisable to re-scan the computer with more special antimalware software. In this regard, there are a variety of free programs and trial versions for paid software that specialize in removing existing malware. Among them are, for example, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or SUPER Anti-Spyware Free Edition. A reliable tool for detecting malware is Microsoft Safety Scanner , which can be downloaded in case of suspicions. With ESET and Bitdefender Quick Scan, you can have access to online tools that allow you to fight against malware. In the case of adware programs or browser toolbars on Windows computers, tools like Ad-Cleaner can be of great help .
  
  Some antivirus software offer different scanning options. A quick scan takes about 20 minutes, while a full scan can last for an hour. At the end of the process, the malicious software can be removed and after restarting the computer, the program shows that the computer is fully protected.

Remove malware from your computer using emergency or formatting systems

A somewhat more time-consuming but successful variant is the use of emergency software, such as Kaspersky Rescue Disk , F-Secure Rescue CD or KNOPPIX . These programs offer the option to be downloaded for free and copied in ISO format on removable disks. To do this, you must start the infected computer. As the operating system runs, the emergency software will start a scan for malicious items and remove infectious items. If a more serious attack occurs that prevents the equipment from even being turned on, these types of emergency systems are the only solution so that the equipment can be put back into operation.

In case the computer continues to have problems (caused by the action of badware), you have two options: either you go to an expert in the hope that he can solve the situation or you take care of the problem yourself, for which it will be necessary store personal files, format all hard drives on your computer, and reinstall the operating system. Formatting is probably the hardest thing to do to fight the presence of malicious programs, but it is also the safest method to eliminate them, especially in the case of computer parasites that cling very tenaciously to the system or other types of malware that is reinstalled, since even though the system has been analyzed, they are still present in it.

The presence of malware on web pages

Malware can not only affect your computer, but also your website and the corresponding web space. Webmasters can identify the presence of the same through a notification by their Internet provider or a search engine, since both web hosting providers and companies such as Google analyze web pages for malicious code on a regular basis. . However, you can avoid being a victim of threats and attacks by even taking some precautions.

Security measures in web hosting

The following preventive measures can be used to protect web pages from malicious software attack:

• Encrypted access to the web space: instead of an access by FTP, it is more advisable to use either FTP over SSL (FTPS) or the SFTP protocol . Thanks to encryption, your online storage space is better protected.  

• Strong usernames and passwords: not only complex or one-time passwords are recommended (it is best if a password contains more than 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, and numbers or special characters), but also individualized usernames (not just "Admin" or "Webmaster").

• Two-factor authentication: Some content management systems and other programs allow two-factor authentication to be carried out when registering. This is possible, for example, in Word Press by using Google Authenticator. After entering the username and password, the system will ask for another password, a process similar to online banking. This password in code form is normally sent through a mobile phone application. Through registration with another item increases the security of your login.

• CMS and other software updates: Security gaps in old versions of content management systems can lead to the presence of malware. Therefore, it is important to be sure that you have the most stable and secure version of the software, which also applies to all kinds of plugins, themes and other extensions and programs that are used on a web page.

• Backup: create a regular backup of the entire web page, including the database, and save it to a local data storage device. If your website is affected by malicious programs, you can recover all the pages with this backup. It is advisable to save the backup in the web space, since intruders can manipulate everything it contains.

Remove malicious software from the website or web space

If your website has been hacked and infected with malware, the first thing you should do is take it offline, since the pages that contain malicious elements become transmitters of malicious software, which gets into the computers of the visitors of the web pages.

In case your web host has not informed you of the presence of malicious software, contact them to update them, as they can often help to eradicate it. However, you can take certain measures to restore the security of your web server independently:

1. Scan your computer for harmful elements: the first step is to rule out that your computer is the cause of the problem. To do this, you must analyze it for badware and debug any malicious elements found. Repeat the process with all the computers that have been connected to the web server using the FTP protocol.
   
   
2. Change all passwords - At least one of your passwords has likely been hacked. Therefore, you must change all the access codes related to your server and the hacked website. To the passwords for FTP access and for the administration section are added the passwords for the website database, for all visitors to the website and for SSH access (if any).
   
   
3. Locate damage and repair it : Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) is a popular tool with which you can better understand the actions of malware on a web page.

To be able to use it, you only need to have a Google account (free). The tool scans the web page for malicious software and offers help options to fix the problem. Alternatively, you can locate the infected files on the website yourself, although this is the work of well-versed webmasters.

4. Make backups: if you have found malicious files, replace them with copies of the previous backup that are not infected. To be absolutely sure that you have removed all kinds of malicious programs, you have to remove the entire web page, reinstall it and insert all the files with the help of a clean backup. If you have not backed up the website or if the website is also infected, your hosting provider can provide you with an old version of your files.
   
   
5. Remove the website from blacklists: search engines such as Google or Bing send web pages containing malware to so-called blacklists. Those that are on the Google blacklist are fine because they have obtained bad search results or because they are going to be completely removed from the results list. Once you have removed all the malicious software, the next step is to request a new scan of the website by search engines. In the case of Google, the Search Console would be used again, while Bing makes the Bing Webmaster Tools available .

If you are not sure that you are able to repair all the damages yourself, you should turn to experts , because the only way to satisfy both visitors and control authorities such as Google or your hosting provider sharing a completely secure page.

Never underestimate the dangers of malware

Malicious software lurks in all corners of the Internet, it can affect anyone and cause significant damage, so it is necessary to deal with the problem in time and take the appropriate preventive measures. In addition to using special programs and carrying out preventive maintenance, do not forget to be careful and prudent when accessing the Internet, whether it is browsing the net, using web applications, downloading files or opening file attachments. the e-mails. Despite taking this into account, there is no 100% secure protection and even the most cautious users can cause malicious programs to enter systems. Eliminating malware requires effort but it has its rewards, since only a system free of harmful elements can guarantee the security and performance that correspond to you.