Most employees do not realize their computer or IT network has been hacked.  Some of the immediate symptoms are the computer or network is running slow or maybe a computer has sporadically started restarting out of the blue.  If these tale-tell signs have came up in your IT network then chances are that your computer or IT network has been hacked.  The word “hacked” means someone has hijacked your computer and is using it without your knowledge.  If you believe your network is hacked we advise you to remove it as soon as possible.  You can also contact one of our experienced techs at C&O to advise you on different options to remove the threat.

10 ways to test if your computer has been hacked:

1. Unusual internet connectivity (sometimes fast, sometimes very slow)
2. The default web page has been changed to another page
3. The default search page has been changed to another page
4. The antivirus program doesn’t work at all or it freezes and/or crashes regularly
5. The web browser will not browse to web pages from Microsoft, Symantec, or other web pages owned by software or security firms
6. New files or folders have appeared on the computer in unusual locations with strange names
7. Web pages exhibit strange behavior such as flashing for a moment
8. Web history cannot be deleted
9. The screensaver has been changed
10. Computer runs extremely slow