As experienced computer technicians, we have a lot of experience surrounding the old topic of virus removal (now more frequently referred to as malware: malicious software), and have assisted thousands of customers since 2002 with malware removal from both home and business level computer users.
We get calls and emails daily regarding computer viruses from troubled individuals that want to know what they can do to remove the virus(es) and spyware, or better put, malware (malicious software) from their computer. Our initial reaction is always to ensure their immediate security, so we ask them questions like:
“Is your machine powered on and are you connected to the internet?”
–>We ask this to ensure that the virus is not transmitting their personal data back to its host (the hacker that wrote the malware application). If so, we ask them to at least disable their internet connection by unplugging their Ethernet cable from either their PC or the Router, and if, god forbid, they are still using dial-up, then disconnect the phone line from their PC. This precautionary action will terminate their connection to the internet and cease any possible communication between the virus/malware and their host.
“What are you running for security software? If yes, is it a free version or paid version, and is your license current?” (e.g. anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, etc. software such as AVG, Norton, Avast, Panda, McAfee, CA, etc.)
–> This helps us determine how badly their machine is infected. Let’s face it, none of these security software are infallible, but we try to put our best foot forward when protecting our networks, data and PC’s. If they tell us that they are not running any security software or it has expired, we know, right off the bat, that the machine is swimming with many viruses.
You clicked on an online banner by mistake, or you opened an email from an unknown sender, these and many more could cause your computer to get infected with malware; and it only gets worse when you do this on a computer connected to your office’s network. When one computer in a network gets infected with spyware or computer viruses, it is only a matter of time before every computer in your office gets infected. To prevent massive downtime and a lot of wasted money, you should get professional virus and spyware removal done on your computers.
When any kind of malware infects a computer you can be sure that you are in trouble. There are viruses that can corrupt your hard drive, rendering it completely useless, and all of the data it contained will be irrecoverable. And then there are spyware programs that will copy all of your passwords and important information, making it easy for someone to steal your identity and ruin you financially. These threats are real, and if you take a nonchalant stand against them then you have already lost.
If you own a multi-million dollar business conglomerate then odds are you already have a team of IT experts that will handle any computer-related threats. But what if you only have a handful of employees and none of them can be considered as “experts” when it comes to IT? Would you just resign to your fate and let your computers and the precious data they contain to completely vanish without a trace? Fortunately for you, there are plenty of companies out there who can help you when your precious company computers are at risk of getting completely destroyed from the inside.
You may think that you would not need any spyware or virus removal services because you already have an antivirus program installed in all of the computers in your network, but you thought wrong. There are hundreds of thousands of different malware programs out there, and they are multiplying even now, and not even the best antivirus program can protect you from all of them. Computer virus and spyware removal experts know how to track down what kind of malware they are dealing with, and they also know what kind of action they need to take get rid of the problem. If you value your computers and the precious data they contain, you should partner up with a good IT services provider as soon as you can.
