You installed your antivirus tool , like PCMag told you, but your device is infected with malware anyway! Before you leave the handle completely, consider a few things. Are you sure your antivirus subscription is set to auto-renew? Have you checked to see if your antivirus is trying to tell you the problem? Even when nothing is out of the ordinary, software (even security software) can still simply fail.
There are various situations where ransomware, spyware, or some other malicious program can enter a computer despite antivirus protection. If this happens to you, don’t panic! Keep a clear head and follow the advice below to recover from the attack.
Has my antivirus software stopped working?
Often, the only time you notice an antivirus utility is when it pops up a notification to detect and neutralize a malware attack. Of course, some of them will notify you when they are updated, while others will display a monthly report of what they have done for you. But most of the time, your security protections should be humming in the background.
That’s why it’s a good idea to check that your antivirus software is working properly from time to time. Find its icon in the notification area at the bottom right of the screen. If you don’t see it, click the icon to show hidden items. In Windows 10 and Windows 11 , the icon looks like an oversized caret ^. Right-click the antivirus icon and click the menu option to open it.
Almost every antivirus software displays a green icon, banner, or image in its main window when everything is set up properly. If you see red or yellow, something is wrong. Usually, antivirus software will tell you what’s wrong, and there’s usually a button or link that will fix the problem. You may need to dig into the settings to correct any issues that are preventing you from seeing green.
Is there any green? That’s fine, but while you’re here, check statistics such as the latest antivirus signature update, last program update, and latest scan. You can also proactively tell your antivirus to check for updates immediately, and then run a full scan. Now it’s definitely working!
My antivirus software stopped working!
If your settings are wrong, or your antivirus software isn’t up to date, malware could slip away undisposed. How do you know if you have malware ?
Some intrusions are blatant and reveal their presence even when you are not using a browser by forcing pop-up ads or redirecting your surfing to unwanted pages. Ransomware is in your face, demanding cash to decrypt your important files. Some people take advantage of your antivirus outages by choosing to fill in the blanks themselves. They pretend to be security software, warn you about the dangers of made-up malware, and offer to “fix” them, for a price. The boldest use the logos and styles of actual security tools. The image below tells you time and time again that it’s Windows Defender …but it’s not.
Other types of malware are more subtle. Has someone cracked your password? Possibly a Trojan horse is involved. Social media malware makes posts look like your own and goes on to infect friends who click links in the posts. Of course, sometimes there’s no sign of a malware attack at all—until you find out your bank account is depleted, or your home loan is declined because some bozo ruined your credit .
How to recover from a malware attack
it happens. Sometimes, even if your antivirus software is fully updated and functional, a sneaky new strain of zero -day malware slips past it. If antivirus software is unable to identify a threat through its malware signature or behavior, a SWAT team needs to be brought in.
Most antivirus companies provide recovery disks as ISO files that you can burn to a CD or DVD, or install on a USB drive. Booting from a repair disk starts a separate operating system, usually based on Linux, with built-in antivirus software. A rescue disk can really help if malware evades your antivirus software by tricking Windows. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus makes cleaning easier with the option to boot into rescue mode, no disk required.
Ransomware encrypted my files
If a Trojan or virus infects your system because your antivirus software is outdated or just missed the attack, you can recover using the above techniques. However, if ransomware is involved , you’re in deep trouble. Detecting and removing malicious programs does nothing to restore encrypted files.
You might consider biting the bullet and paying the ransom, but think twice before doing so. There’s no guarantee that paying will get your files back, and the crooks have no real incentive to decrypt your files after you’ve paid. It’s not like you can report them to the Better Business Bureau.
If encrypted files are important enough, it seems logical to hire an expert to recover them. Before you do that, though, research the company thoroughly. A UK sting operation has revealed that some so-called experts simply pay the ransom, then charge you the ransom price plus their own cut.
In fact, it may not be necessary to hire an expert. When researchers crack ransomware’s encryption, they often provide decryption tools for free. Ransom notes almost always include the name of the strain, and a web search for “<name> ransomware decryption tool” should turn up the solution if it exists. Kaspersky, McAfee, and Trend Micro are among the many antivirus companies that offer such tools.
Of course, there is a chance that your files will disappear permanently with no chance of recovery. If this thought scares you, set up a comprehensive online backup system for your most important files today. Today, you can get terabytes of backup storage for a reasonable price. Now, if ransomware strikes, you can use the techniques above to eliminate the attackers and simply restore the files from the backup.
Get new antivirus software
If malware eludes your antivirus, even if it’s perfectly up to date, well, it only has one job to do…it fails. Not all security products are created equal. Independent antivirus testing labs offer a wide range of test scores, from perfect to perfectly awful.
