· 3 min read
How to spot a fake virus warning, and what to do when one appears
Full-screen alerts that tell you to call a phone number are scams. Here is how to recognize them, close them safely, and what to do if you already called.
Computer security for homes and small businesses
Practical protection against scams, viruses and stolen passwords, sized for a household or a small office, and explained in plain language.
Good security for a home or a small business is mostly unglamorous. Very few people are targeted by skilled attackers. Nearly everyone is targeted by the automated kind: stolen passwords tried on every website, fake warnings, fake invoices, and emails that look almost right. A handful of settings stop the great majority of it.
Cleaning up after a problem
- Removing viruses, unwanted programs and browser hijackers, and checking that they have really gone
- Checking a computer after a scam phone call or a remote access session
- Recovering email and social media accounts that have been taken over, and locking them down afterwards
- Finding out how it happened, so that it does not happen again
Preventing the next one
- Passwords. A password manager set up for the household or the office, so that every account has a different password and nobody has to remember them
- Two-step sign-in on email, banking and the accounts that everything else depends on, with the recovery codes stored safely
- Updates. Windows, macOS, browsers and the router, all set to update themselves
- The router. Default passwords changed, current security settings, and a separate network for guests and smart devices
- Backups that ransomware cannot reach
- Encryption on laptops, so that a stolen computer is a nuisance and not a data breach
Teaching, not only fixing
Most successful attacks begin with a person being persuaded to do something. We show you, and your family or staff, what a scam email, a fake warning and a fraudulent phone call look like, using real examples. It takes about an hour, and it is the most effective protection there is.
For small businesses
- A separate sign-in for each person, with two-step sign-in required, so that access can be removed when someone leaves
- Protection against fake invoices and requests to change bank details: a simple procedure for confirming payment changes by telephone
- A review of who has access to what, including former staff and old suppliers
- Help with the security questions that arrive from insurers, banks and larger customers
What this covers
- Virus and malware removal and protection
- Password managers and two-step sign-in
- How to spot scam emails, calls and pop-ups
Common questions
I think I have a virus. What should I do right now?
Stop using the computer for banking, shopping and email. If a warning on the screen is telling you to call a phone number, it is a scam: do not call it. Our guide to fake virus warnings shows how to close it safely. Then get in touch, and tell us what you are seeing.
I let someone connect to my computer and now I think it was a scam. What now?
Disconnect the computer from the internet, and call your bank if you gave any payment details. From a different device, change the passwords for your email and banking. Then have the computer checked before you use it for anything sensitive, because remote access software is often left behind.
Is the antivirus that comes with Windows good enough?
For most homes, yes. Windows Security is built in, is kept up to date, and performs well in independent tests. What matters more is keeping Windows and your browser updated, using different passwords everywhere, and turning on two-step sign-in.
Which password manager do you recommend?
We use 1Password ourselves, and it is what we set up for families and small offices. Our article on whether you need a password manager explains the reasons, and what to look for in any manager.
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Ready to talk?
Tell us what is going on, or what you would like to set up, and we will get back to you, usually within one business day.