Malware (malicious software) is any software that ends up on your computer that is designed to do damage. It may crash your system, destroy data, or reveal your confidential information to a hacker.

How do you know if your computer has been infected with malware?

Sometimes the signs are obvious.  The performance of your computer may deteriorate for no reason, or it may start doing things that are not normal.

Here are a few symptoms that may mean your computer is infected:

• Very slow start-up
• Slow Internet performance
• The browser may not respond or close unexpectedly
• Your homepage is changed
• Pop-up windows start popping up with much greater frequency
• You see signs of email activity that you didn’t send
• Random messages, sounds, or music start to appear
• There seems to be a lot of network activity when you are not using the network
• The available memory on your computer is lower than it should be
• Programs or files appear or disappear without your knowledge
• File names are changed

If your computer is showing signs of malware, you need to make sure you’ve got powerful Internet security software that will detect and remove threats and keep your data safe. Trend Micro Maximum Security uses cloud technology to automatically stop viruses and spyware before they reach your computer, so it won’t slow you down. It’s a whole new way to protect your PC from Internet threats.