Malware

Malware is short for "malicious software." It includes viruses and spyware installed on your computer or mobile device without your knowledge or consent. These programs can cause your device to crash and can be used to monitor and control your online activity.

Protect Yourself From Malware

Take Iowa State's quiz on safe web browsing: Don't Be Fooled.

Learn how to protect your computer from malware with this video from the Federal Trade Commission:

Symptoms of a Malware Infection

• Slowdown
• Pop-Ups
• Crashes
• Suspicious hard drive activity
• Running out of hard drive space
• Unusually high network activity
• New browser homepage, new toolbars and/or unwanted websites accessed without your input
• Unusual messages or programs that start automatically
• Your security solution is disabled
• Your friends tell you that they are getting strange messages from you
• New, unfamiliar icons on desktop + battery life drains quickly
• You see unusual error messages
• You are unable to access the Control Panel, Task Manager, Registry Editor or Command Prompt

If your device is infected, or you think your device may be infected, do not attempt to fix the problem yourself! Contact the Solution Center.

Getting Help Removing Malware