Q: How do I monitor my device’s performance?

For PC users, right-click on the Start menu or press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select the Task Manager. The Processes tab will list all the applications currently running, alongside how much CPU power and memory they are each using. The Performance tab provides a live graphical depiction of your CPU’s performance. For Mac users, click on the search icon in the top right corner and type in “Activity Monitor” to bring up the application. You can see both CPU and memory usage for each application, and quit those that don’t need to be running. If you notice any programs that are using up a lot of system resources, then you should try to quit them if you don’t need them. If your antivirus software is using up system resources unnecessarily, even though no full disk scans are running, then you should consider uninstalling the software and trying an alternative antivirus .

Question 1

How do I find hidden viruses on Android?

Accepted Answer

To find hidden viruses on Android, use a reputable antivirus app to scan your device. Antivirus apps like Norton can detect and remove hidden malware. Additionally, enable Google Play Protect, which regularly scans apps for suspicious behavior.

Signs of hidden viruses include unusual battery drain, frequent pop-up ads, and unexplained data usage. Booting your phone into Safe Mode can help identify malicious apps by disabling third-party apps and seeing if the issue persists.

Question 2

Does a factory reset remove viruses and malware from your Android device?

Accepted Answer

Though a factory reset can remove most viruses and malware from an Android device, it’s not a guarantee, and it’s very intrusive. This process wipes all data and restores the phone to its original state, eliminating all apps and files.

There’s a much better way to remove malware, namely by using a trustworthy antivirus app. The best Android antivirus apps help you identify and eliminate malware without factory resetting your phone and losing all of your files, apps, messages, and call logs, along with everything else.

Question 3

How to check if your phone has malware?

Accepted Answer

Look for signs like slow performance, frequent crashes, pop-up ads, and unfamiliar apps. Use a reliable antivirus app to perform a full scan of your device. Additionally, check for excessive data usage and battery drain, which can indicate malware activity.

Google Play Protect can also help by scanning apps for harmful behavior. Regularly review installed apps and permissions to identify any suspicious activity.

Question 4

Can Android be infected with malware?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there are billions of Android devices in the world, and in 2024, millions of users are hacked every day.

Android users are frequently hacked by attachments sent via phishing email. And malicious apps can sometimes creep into the Google Play Store itself. However, the most common vectors for Android-based malware are third-party app stores. These stores usually offer cracked versions of premium apps for free — but the hidden cost is that they infect your Android with malware!

To keep your Android phone free from malware, make sure to use a strong antivirus app like Norton, whose real-time malware protection and powerful virus scanning features prevent malware from attacking your device at all times.

Question 5

Can antivirus software slow down your devices in 2024?

Accepted Answer

Antivirus software might slow down your system while performing a full disk scan, but things like lightweight scanners, flexible scan scheduling features, and system optimizers can minimize slowdown on your device.

Antivirus programs with cloud-based scanners, such as Bitdefender, run their scans externally to your device which means you won’t experience slowdown, even during a full disk scan.

But remember that slowdown can also be caused by other issues on your device. Malware infections, out-of-date software, insufficient hardware, and an excessive amount of background programs running may all factor into why your device is experiencing sluggish performance. Top antivirus suites, such as Bitdefender, have a wide range of tools that can find and fix the majority of issues that might be affecting your device’s performance.

Question 6

What is the fastest antivirus program available for Windows?

Accepted Answer

Bitdefender is the fastest antivirus for PC users. Because Bitdefender uses cloud-based technology, the anti-malware scanner doesn’t use a computer’s own resources when scanning. This results in quick scans that cause no interruptions to the device’s performance.

In addition to being lightweight, Bitdefender is one of the best antivirus suites on the market. It has an excellent malware-detection rate, is easy to use, and is cost-effective, making it a great choice.

Question 7

What is the fastest antivirus program available for Mac?

Accepted Answer

Intego is my #1 antivirus choice for Mac users — it’s secure, lightweight, and comes with some great additional tune-up features.

Intego uses file caching technology, which marks files as safe after the initial scan. So while the first scan can take a while (over an hour), subsequent scans will usually be as short as 10–15 minutes.

Question 8

How can I improve the performance of my device?

Accepted Answer

System optimization tools are great ways to improve a device’s performance, and luckily, most good antivirus programs will include some. Both Bitdefender and Intego come with excellent optimization tools that are easy to use and effective at removing junk files and programs in order to improve your system’s performance.

There are a lot of easy ways to improve your device’s performance — it’s important to keep your system’s OS up to date, and to routinely audit the programs and apps installed on your device and remove unused applications. Purchasing external storage (i.e. a physical external hard drive or cloud storage) can also help remove the burden on your local hard disk, which will in turn speed up your device.

Question 9

How do I monitor my device’s performance?

Accepted Answer

For PC users, right-click on the Start menu or press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select the Task Manager. The Processes tab will list all the applications currently running, alongside how much CPU power and memory they are each using. The Performance tab provides a live graphical depiction of your CPU’s performance.

For Mac users, click on the search icon in the top right corner and type in “Activity Monitor” to bring up the application. You can see both CPU and memory usage for each application, and quit those that don’t need to be running.

If you notice any programs that are using up a lot of system resources, then you should try to quit them if you don’t need them. If your antivirus software is using up system resources unnecessarily, even though no full disk scans are running, then you should consider uninstalling the software and trying an alternative antivirus.

Question 10

What are zero-day threats?

Accepted Answer

Zero-day threats are brand new cyberattacks that either A) exploit software vulnerabilities which developers are unaware of, or B) utilize new malware code that isn’t recorded in any malware database. The term “zero-day” refers to the amount of time developers have had to update their protections — because zero-days are brand new, developers have had zero days to study them and devise a solution.

The majority of zero-day attacks that we hear about in the news are zero-day exploits. Exploit attacks target unintended bugs and weaknesses in software — they frequently target browsers and other web-facing tools (like JavaScript, Adobe Flash, or CSS), which are easier for hackers to access. Hackers use exploits to gain access to a system, at which point they can install malware, sabotage a system, steal data, or initiate a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

Once a zero-day has been deployed, it becomes a known exploit which developers can protect against with patches and software updates — so zero-days are usually deployed in high-profile attacks against extremely lucrative targets. Both zero-day malware attacks and exploit attacks are fairly uncommon, but zero-day exploits have been happening more frequently in recent years. Machine learning-based anti-malware detection (like Norton uses) is designed to detect zero-day malware threats.

Question 11

Is there a difference between zero-days and exploits?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Zero-days are simply exploit attacks that nobody has seen before. The moment a zero-day attack occurs, the exploit that was utilized in the attack becomes a known exploit, and developers set about patching the vulnerability that was targeted by the zero-day.

Once a patch is issued in a software update, users with up-to-date software can’t be targeted by exploits that target the patched vulnerability.

Exploits are a lot more common than zero-days, and they’re still a huge problem online because so many users fail to update their software.

Question 12

What are some real-world examples of zero-day attacks?

Accepted Answer

There have been quite a few notable instances of zero-days in the last decade, including:

Stuxnet malware. This spy-movie caliber attack targeted uranium-enrichment centrifuges in Iran by exploiting multiple zero-days in Windows and Siemens industrial computers.
Pegasus malware. This terrifying malware was deployed by multiple oppressive regimes to spy on journalists and other high-profile targets.
Equifax breach. Ironically, this breach wouldn’t have happened if Equifax had kept its software up-to-date. One of the largest breaches in hacker history, it exploited a vulnerability in the Adobe Struts application that had been patched months before the breach occurred.

Question 13

What’s the difference between spoofing and phishing?

Accepted Answer

Spoofing is the act of imitating a trusted individual, website, or web server using a variety of techniques.

Spoofing can be used both for hacking and security purposes — for example, a hacker may spoof a caller ID to try to get your personal information, or a journalist from a repressive country may spoof their phone number to prevent the government from tracking them.

Phishing is a type of scam that makes use of spoofed email addresses and websites to convince users to give up money or personal information to hackers.

Question 14

How does spoofing work?

Accepted Answer

There are many types of spoofing, and they all involve a different set of tools. Here are some of the most common types of spoofing:

Caller ID spoofing. Faked caller names and/or area codes, primarily used in financial fraud.
Email spoofing. Faked sender names or email domains that are close to legitimate email domains (like @amaz0n.com), used to trick users for phishing, malspam, or exploit attacks.
Website spoofing. Duplicated graphic design and login fields of legitimate websites, used for phishing, malware, or exploit attacks.

There are also a few more advanced kinds of spoofing, like IP address spoofing, DNS spoofing, and ARP spoofing that take advantage of holes in network security.

Question 15

Are spoofing attacks dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Yes, spoofing attacks are dangerous for individuals and businesses because they enable hackers to steal personal information, gain access to a network, infect devices with malware, and/or crash entire systems.

But there are ways to keep yourself safe from spoofing in 2024 — these include installing an antivirus, using two-factor authentication (2FA) to secure your online accounts, and using a secure web browser.

Question 16

How do I detect spoofing?

Accepted Answer

When it comes to network-level spoofing, like DNS, IP, and ARP spoofing, it’s pretty hard for an everyday user to detect spoofing attacks. However, there are a few different things you can look for that could be signs of a spoofing attack:

Poor spelling and grammar often indicates that the person isn’t who they claim to be.
Unusually slow network traffic.
Unusual banner ads, changes in website layout, or any cosmetic difference in a website could indicate that you are on a spoofed website.
Unusual activity on your bank account.

If you’re looking to keep yourself as safe as possible online, you need a comprehensive internet security solution like Norton 360, which is available for a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Question 17

なぜ MacKeeper をアンインストールできないのでしょうか？

Accepted Answer

MacKeeperをアンインストールできないときは、アンインストールする前にプログラムを終了する必要があります。

MacKeeperをApplicationsフォルダからゴミ箱にドラッグ＆ドロップすることで、簡単にアンインストールすることができます。しかし、まず、MacKeeperを終了する必要があります。起動中のプログラムをアンインストールすることはできませんし、MacKeeperはデフォルトでスタートアップに実行されます。