The error code 0x800CCC0E is an Outlook error that appears while using either Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. The error message hampers your ability to send and receive emails.
Solution
Error Causes
0x800CCC0E Outlook error code is triggered by multiple reasons including:
Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Damaged files
Registry corruption
In most cases, it’s the registry that gets corrupted which leads to the occurrence of 0x800CCC0E error code display. This typically happens when you try to update your Outlook/Outlook Express version.
When updating, you need to remove all the software files of the previous Outlook version which includes the registry too. If the files are not removed from the registry, the new version update will often fail. The junk files of the old version are likely to damage and corrupt the registry.
Further Information and Manual Repair
It is advisable to repair the error code 0x800CC0E right away to avoid inconvenience and system failure and fatal crashes which can lead to valuable data loss.
Cause: Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Solution: If the cause of the 0x800CCC0E is SMTP server connection failure, then the best way to resolve the error is to reconfigure your email account settings. Make sure that port 25 is being used in the SMTP area. Port 25 is the standard outgoing mail port.
If the SMTP setting is on port 25 then another reason for the error 0x800CCC0E can be your anti-virus or firewall software enabled on your PC. Turn it off for a moment and then try sending emails from your Outlook.
Cause: Damaged Files and Registry Corruption
Solution: If the error code is triggered due to registry corruption and file damage, then the best way to resolve it is to download Restoro.
Restoro is a safe, efficient, and highly functional inbox cleaner and a system optimizer embedded with numerous powerful utilities designed to repair multiple PC-related errors including the error code 0x800CCC0E when triggered by registry corruption.
This cutting inbox cleaner scans your PC entirely and detects all the unnecessary and malicious files saved in your system’s registry like junk files, internet history, invalid entries, and files of the uninstalled programs. These files take up most of the registry disk space thus causing the registry files to get damaged and corrupt and triggering error codes like 0x800CCC0E.
With the help of Restoro, you can easily wipe out all such files from your system in just one click. After scanning for errors all you need to do is click the repair tab to make your registry disk clutter-free.
Once the clutter is removed, update the new version of the Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system and then try sending emails. You’ll see two noticeable differences after repairing your PC with Restoro.
One is that you will be able to install the new version and send emails smoothly from your Outlook account without any 0x800CCC0E error pop-ups. And the second difference you’ll see is the change in your PC performance. This tool optimizing your PC speed and reduces boot time.
This tool is very simple and easy to use. It has a neat design layout and a user-friendly interface which makes it easy for all levels of users to use Restoro smoothly with zero complexity. In just a few clicks the error message 0x800CCC0E is resolved. What makes this tool a favorite among users is that it does not require any skills or technical know-how.
To get started here’s what you need to do:
Click here to download Restoro software on your PC
Once the download is complete, run it to scan for 0x800CC0E error
After the scanning is successfully complete, click on the Repair button to fix the error right away.
Then install the new version of Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system
Error 0x00000024 can be seen when you start up and a screen comes up asking which mode you would startup in.
Regardless of the mode you select, it leads up to the Windows screen with the loading bar and your computer crashes from there onwards. When you press F8 in order to select the “Disable Automatic Restart On System Failure” option, that is when this error shows up:
Due to this error, both Safe and Normal modes become inaccessible.
Solution
Error Causes
If you’re having this error then it is the indication of an issue with the file NTFS.sys. Further, there might also be problems with the IRP (Interrupt Request Packet) or the disk may have been corrupted.
There are multiple other causes of this error, including heavy fragmentation of your hard drive or problems caused by your antivirus software.
Further Information and Manual Repair
First and foremost, you are suggested to run Chkdsk. In order to do this, you have to enter your BIOS and select CDROM as your primary booting device. Now follow the below-mentioned steps:
Insert your Windows XP installation CD into the CDROM and reboot your PC.
Press any key to proceed with the boot from CD when you are prompted to do so.
When the Windows XP setup menu shows up, hit the “R” key to proceed with repairing Windows.
If there is only one Windows installed on your computer then hit the “1” key and proceed by pressing enter. If there are more than two Windows then hit the number which is associated (according to the screen you are viewing) to the Windows you want to repair. Usually, this is C:/Windows and associated with “1” but if that is not the case then you should simply press the number that corresponds with the windows you want to repair and proceed.
Now, you will see a screen that prompts you to enter your administrator password. Most people don’t have an admin password and in that case, you should simply hit enter and you’d be good to go. If you do have an administrator password, however, then you should type it in, hit enter, and proceed.
When the DOS prompt shows up, type in chkdsk/f and hit return.
If you see no improvement in solving Error 0x00000024, and the problem keeps persisting, then you should start over. But this time you should type sfc/scannow instead of chkdsk/f and hit return.
There are a few other complex methods that you can try as well but this is the most recommended procedure as it is easier, quicker, and most likely to fix the error.
Although there are several Windows 10 devices that are touchscreen-based, the mouse still remains to be an important part of usage for many users especially the ones who do some hardcore work on their Windows 10 computers or laptops. If you’re one of the users who often edit images or videos either for fun or work, using Touch is difficult as it’s a bit hard to drag on the screen so nothing really beats the mouse. However, as awesome as the mouse is, there are times when you encounter issues while using it. One of these issues is when your mouse pointer lags or freezes so in this post, you can try out a few tips that can help you resolve the issue.
Option 1 – Clean both the mouse and the mousepad
It might sound silly but it is a fact that either the mouse or the mouse pad themselves is the problem. Even though mouse balls are long gone, the laser lights that replaced them are not immune to some dirt which is why you need to clean the bottom of the mouse and then clean the mouse pad afterward.
Option 2 – Try changing the USB port
This is another basic thing you can do to resolve the problem since there are instances when USB ports where either your mouse is connected have gone rogue so you need to try switching to a different port and then see if the problem’s fixed or not.
Option 3 – Switch back to the default settings of the mouse
Switching your mouse back to its default setting is always a good idea since you are dealing with a pointer issue. To go back to the default settings of the mouse, here’s what you have to do:
Click on Mouse and Touchpad.
Next, click on Additional Mouse Settings located in the right pane.
After that, click on the “Use Default” option under the Pointer tab.
Then click on Apply and OK to save the changes made.
Option 4 – Try disabling Smooth Scrolling
You have to slow down both the horizontal and the vertical scrolling of the mouse in the settings which are called “Smooth scrolling”. This will help if you think that the websites you are visiting scroll up and down way too fast.
Option 5 – Try to update or rollback mouse drivers
If the first few options didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the mouse drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated the mouse driver then you need to roll back the driver. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
The problem may be caused by a corrupted or outdated driver. So you have to update or reinstall the mouse driver. How? Follow these steps:
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the Mouse and other pointing devices and right-click on the mouse driver to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, disconnect the mouse and plug it back in to reinstall the mouse driver.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 6 – Try to check if your laptop is turning off the mouse
In case you don’t know, the power management can turn off the devices that are not in use to save battery power if you use a laptop. And this can also happen on USB-based devices like the mouse. Thus, you need to verify if your laptop is turning off the mouse.
Go to Device Manager > Universal serial bus controllers > USB Root Hub > Power Management.
After opening Power Management, uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option.
If you have lots of USB Root hubs, you can try changing each one of them and see if it works or not.
Option 7 – Try updating the Graphics Drivers
Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.
Option 8 – Try setting the No Delay option for Touchpad
If you are using a laptop that’s touchscreen-based, you can try setting the delay to zero in the settings. To do so, simply go to Settings > Devices > Mouse and Touchpad. From there, you can set the delay before clicks to “No Delay”.
There is one service in the Windows operating system that is responsible for managing all the print jobs as well as handles the interaction with the printer. This service is known as the Print Spooler service. However, if it stops running, then you won’t be able to print anything on your computer. In such a case, you can try to restart the Print Spooler service, and to do that, you have to open the Windows Services Manager and look for the Print Spooler Service. Once you found it, right-click on it and select Restart. If it isn’t running, select Start and if the Service starts working again, then good but if not and you got an error message instead that says, “Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer, Error 1068, The dependency service or group failed to start”, then read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions you can try to resolve the issue.
The reason why you could not start the service is most likely because the Print Spooler service is dependent on other services which might not be properly running. If the following services are not running then it’s no wonder why you’re getting the error.
HTTP Service
Remote Procedure Control (RPC) Service
You might not see the RPC service which means that the Print Spooler Service does not recognize its dependency on the RPC service. In such a case, you have to manually configure the dependency by following the options given below.
Option 1 – Try configuring the dependency via CMD
The first thing you have to do is to configure the dependency using CMD. Refer to the steps below to do so:
Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Then type in “sc config spooler depend= RPCSS” and hit Enter.
After the command has been executed, restart your computer and then check if it fixed the problem. If not, proceed to the next given option below.
Option 2 – Fix dependency via the Registry Editor
You can also resolve dependency using the Registry Editor. How? Refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, navigate to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesSpooler
Next, right-click on the “DependOnService” entry located on the right pane and select Modify.
Now change its value data to “RPCSS” and click OK to save the changes made and then exit the Registry Editor.
Reboot your computer and see if the issue is resolved.
Option 3 – Try running the Printer Troubleshooter
Another option you can check out is the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter in Windows 10 can help you fix most print issues. It checks if you have the latest printer drivers and then tries to fix and update them automatically. Aside from that, it also checks if you have connectivity issues or if the Print Spooler and the required Services are running fine. To run it, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “exe /id PrinterDiagnostic” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Printer Troubleshooter.
Then click the Next button and follow the next on-screen instructions to fix the issue with the printer.
If you are a person which spends a lot of time in front of the computer doing work, then you are aware of the importance of having a proper backup of your archive so if anything bad happens you will lose almost none of the work.
We can never tell when we might experience HDD failures or when we might be a victim of cyber attacks, natural disasters,s and other unpredictable circumstances where we could lose all of our data in a matter of minutes. Having a backup of our data is very important but sometimes we are too busy or not around and we miss that data backup we wanted to do, and if in this case disaster strikes we are out of luck and data is lost. To avoid such circumstances, you can set up automatic Windows Backups at a scheduled time. This way it will help to have the loss of important files and documents from unexpected hazards.
in order to create automatic backups of your files, you have several options, and below we will explore each one in hopes that you will find one that best suits your needs.
Create automatic file backup with OneDrive
This is probably the best way to do it because each time when you sign in OneDrive files get backed up right away, files are stored in the cloud and can be accessed on any device via a Microsoft account.
To get started, open the Settings app first.
Click on the Update & Security category
Select the Backup tab from the left pane.
Move to the right page and click on the Back up files button that is available under Back up files to OneDrive.
Select the folders you want to backup in the cloud, and remove those ones you don’t want to backup.
On the next page, click the Start backup button to start the procedure.
Create a backup using File History
File History is an inbuilt feature that allows users to create automatic file backup on Windows 10. File History allows the users to back up their files in an external or cloud drive at different intervals of time. To create automatic file backup using File History:
Press the ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open the Settings app.
Click on the Update & Security category and then select the Backup tab from the left pane.
Under the Back up using File History section, click on Add a drive button.
Now choose the drive to store the backup files. Windows will use this drive for File History.
Then turn on the toggle button under Automatically back up my files. This will back up your data to the drive automatically whenever you connect it to the system.
Below the toggle button, click on the “More options” link to set how frequently File History will back up.
Use the Keep my backups drop-down menu to get the option to configure the time for how long you want to keep your backups. By default, it will keep your backups forever.
Under the section Back up these folders, tap on the Add a folder button in order to add one more folder to the backup. Then click on the Add a folder button, under Exclude these folders. This will exclude the files that you don’t want to back up.
You can stop the drive from storing backup files to change the backup storage location. To do this, click the Stop using drive option under the Back up to a different drive category.
Backup using Windows backup & restore tool
Open Control Panel
Click on the System and Security option
Scroll down and select the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) button
Next click on the Set up backup button, available under the Back up or restore your files section
Under the Save backup on section, select the Backup Destination where you want your backup files to get stored
On the “Set up backup” page, Windows will ask you to choose the way to backup, check Let me choose checkbox, and then hit the Next button
Under the section Computer, select the files and folders you want to backup. Then uncheck the box next to the Include a system image of drives option, and then hit the Next button
Now click on the Change schedule link. Set the time and check the box beside Run backup on a schedule button
Click OK then select the Save settings and run backup option
Installing Windows updates, installing a new driver from the manufacturer, or even just installing an application or game can cause sometimes certain components of your computer to stop working properly or introduce issues that were not present just before mentioned installation.
Luckily for all of us, Microsoft seems aware of this potential issue and we have the option to roll back an older driver which performed well and had no issues at all.
In order to do this first press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden start menu and click on Device Manager.
From the Device Manager choose the troublesome device and right-click on it, choose properties.
Device properties floating Window will appear.
Click on the top tab which says, Driver. From the Driver tab, click on Roll Back Driver.
Note that if the device is working properly, the Roll Back Driver button will be greyed out and you will not be able to click on it meaning that chosen device is not the issue. If the device is not working properly and you can click on Roll Back driver, do it, choose the previous version, and reboot your computer.
You can use this method to get back to the previous driver version for any device that is causing issues in your computer.
Windows 11 comes with glass and transparency effects by default once it is installed. The transparency effect looks really good but if in any case, you do not like them, you can easily turn them off very easily
Open settings inside Windows 11
Inside settings click on Accessibility in the sidebar
Click on Visual Effects on far-right
Inside Visual effects, settings click on the switch beside Transparency effects to OFF
Windows will automatically save settings and apply changes right away. Just close your settings application and continue with work. You can always turn it back ON if you change your mind.
0x0000007B is the most common Windows stop error.
The error is displayed on the blue-colored screen which is also called the blue screen of death. You may receive a 0x0000007B error message during Windows XP setup or while running the setup program.
The message is often displayed as ‘a problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damages’ or ‘inaccessible boot device error’.
Solution
Error Causes
The 0x0000007B error code is usually triggered by:
Poor Window XP installation
Registry corruption
Device Drivers Issues
Boot sector viruses
Further Information and Manual Repair
The 0x0000007B error makes your system vulnerable and reduces its speed significantly. And besides, you can’t run the programs smoothly on your PC either. Therefore, it’s advisable to fix the error right away.
To fix and repair the 0x0000007B error successfully, you must first understand the cause of the error. Let’s take a look at all the solutions available to fix the 0x0000007B error.
Cause: Boot Sector Viruses
Solution: If your computer is infected with boot sector viruses, then you will first have to download a powerful antivirus. After downloading the antivirus program, run it on your PC to check your computer for viruses. Delete the viruses found and click the repair option.
Sometimes even an antivirus program may fail to remove the virus and repair the system. In such cases, you must repartition and format your hard disk and also reinstall Windows XP.
Cause: Device Driver Issues
Solution: Device driver issues may occur if the boot controller is not properly configured or the driver is not up to date. If device driver configuration is the cause of the 0x0000007B error on your PC, then all you need to do is restart your PC, and while restarting press F8 to go to the advanced boot options.
Now choose the ‘Last Known Good Configuration’ option. After selecting it, boot into windows and then perform a system restore. Now go to Device Manager and perform a driver rollback to reinstall the drivers. This will resolve the configuration issues.
However, if you need an updated driver, all you need to do go on the web and download software to update the driver. It is advisable to download software from the manufacturer’s website in order to successfully update the device driver.
Cause: Poor Windows Installation
Solution: In this case, you will have to perform a Windows start-up repair. To do this: boot Windows XP from CD. Press ‘enter’ at setup Windows Screen when prompted. Then press R to repair Windows Installation.
This procedure will not delete any user data and files. In fact, it will copy only the original Windows files over the bad or existing ones.
Some of the best ways to avoid Ox0000007B blue screen errors are
To scan for viruses every time you use your PC
Never open web pages, emails, or download content that you think looks suspicious because that’s probably a virus.
If you are using a Windows Update Standalone Installer to install Windows Updates in your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly encounter an error saying, “Installer encountered an error: 0x80096002, The certificate for the signer of the message is invalid or not found”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix it.
This kind of error could be due to the vendor’s certificate that might have become invalid, compromised, or pulled. Aside from that, it is also possible that the update is not targeted at your OS version. You could get this error when you try to install an incompatible update or software on your computer. This error can also appear due to misconfigured system files or when you try to install BitLocker To Go Drive Encryption or BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool. To fix this error, you can try to run the standalone installer in Compatibility mode or enable the Windows Identity Foundation or run the Windows Update troubleshooter.
Make sure to check if the error was resolved after every suggestion. It will help you learn what fixed the problem.
Option 1 – Try to run the installer in Compatibility mode
Look for the setup file.
Once you find it, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
After that, go to the Compatibility tab and mark the checkbox for “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and from the drop-down list, select the Windows OS version you want the installer to run on.
You also have to check the “Run as administrator” option.
Now click the Apply button and then click OK to save the changes made and check if it has resolved the issue or not.
Option 2 – Try to troubleshoot compatibility
This option is almost the same as the first one except it is an alternative way of fixing the error 0x80096002 in case the first one didn’t work. In this option, you will troubleshoot the compatibility issue.
Look for the setup file.
Then right-click on it and select the “Troubleshoot compatibility” from the context menu.
After that, click on the “Try recommended setting” option. Once the process is done, the error message should be gone.
Option 3 – Try to enable the Windows Identity Foundation
You might also want to enable the Windows Identity Foundation as some users reported that it helped in resolving the error for them. To do so, follow these steps:
In the Windows Start Search, type “Turn Windows features on or off” and click on the matching result.
This will open a list of Windows Features and from there, look for the Windows Identity Foundation.
Once you found it, click on its checkbox and click OK to enable it and save the changes made.
Now see if it has fixed the error or not. If not, you have to disable the feature.
Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error 0x80096002. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
If you encounter the “Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes” error when you try to change the read-only state of a storage device using the Diskpart application and the request is denied, worry not for this post will give you a couple of fixes to resolve the problem. As you know, Diskpart is used for resolving read-only storage devices by changing their attribute via the command line. So if it is not able to change the attribute of the storage device, then you will most likely encounter an error such as this one. This kind of error is not uncommon and as long as there are no damaged physical attributes, you can resolve it right away.
There are tons of reasons why you’re getting this error while using Diskpart, it could be that the storage device has a physical write-protected switch or the disk is hidden or has bad sectors. It could also be because the storage drive might be in RAW format or that you are running the Diskpart application without admin privileges. Whatever the cause may be, here are some options you can try to fix the problem but before you proceed, make sure that you log on to your PC as an administrator.
Option 1 – Check if there is a physical switch on the storage device
There are some USB devices and SD card readers that have a write-protected physical switch that disables all the writable options on the storage device and so if it is turned on, Diskpart won’t be able to change the disk attribute to writable. To check, simply look for the physical switch on both sides of the device and once you found it, make sure that it is toggled off and then plug the storage device back in then try running Diskpart once again.
Option 2 – Modify the WriteProtected key in the Registry Editor
Before you proceed, you have to create a System Restore Point first.
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, look for the “WriteProtect” registry entry which is located on the left side of the window, and then double click on it.
Change its value to “0” and click OK to save the changes made and exit the Registry Editor.
Option 3 – Run CHKDSK to check the drive for errors
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system including the “Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes” error.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
Note: In the command given above, “[/F]” will try to fix the system errors while “[/R]” will be the one to fix the bad sectors.
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Option 4 – Clear the attributes on RAW
Tap the Win + S keys then type “diskpart” in the field.
Click the Diskpart application and if a User Account Control dialog box pops up, click Yes to proceed.
After opening an elevated Command Prompt, type in the commands listed below and make sure to tap Enter right after you key in one command after the other.
list volume
select volume‘n’ (In this command, you have to replace ‘n’ with the volume number of the drive)
format fs=fat32 quick (In this command you also have the flexibility to change the format to ‘ntfs’ or ‘exfat’)
After executing the commands given, unplug the removable storage device and wait for a couple of seconds and then plug it back in.
Now try any normal write operations and see if the error no longer appears.
Option 5 – Try checking the hardware components
On the other hand, it is also possible that the issue has something to do with a hardware problem and so you need to check the hardware components on your computer to determine that.
Afraid of the growing threats online? As you should be. But we’re here to show you what kinds of malware are out there and what you can do to keep them at bay.
Malware definition
Malware comes from the term malicious software. It’s software designed to attack and exploit devices and networks to the advantage of the hacker who made it.
Malware can be transmitted in different ways. Most commonly this happens via infected USB drives, downloadable files or malicious websites. Depending on the type and ultimate goal, the consequences of a malware attack can range from negligible to catastrophic.
Credit: Ed Hardie on Unsplash
What kinds of malware are there?
1. Virus
A virus is typically spread via infected files, websites or links. It’s one of the oldest malware types and one of the most difficult to get rid of. That’s because, once activated, it replicates itself - hence the name.
It can perform different kinds of attacks, depending on what the creator wants to achieve. The main characteristic of a virus is that it really doesn’t show itself until you activate the host. So that’s a scary thought for sure.
2. Adware
Sometimes an ad blocker isn’t enough to fight off unwanted ads. And some of them can, unfortunately, be malicious. They may redirect you to infected sites or prompt downloads of risky files. Even just opening a malicious site can lead to data theft.
So, definitely be careful when clicking around. Even if an ad seems completely legitimate, you can never be too sure.
3. Ransomware
Through ransomware, cybercriminals gain access to a user’s data and use it to extort them for money. Basically, the user is threatened with data deletion or even exposure if a ransom isn’t paid by a specific deadline.
This is a particularly nerve-wracking type of malware. If it targets an individual, it preys upon their sense of anxiety, fear, guilt and even shame. If it targets a business (which is a lot more common), it preys upon not only that business’s profit but also every single one of their customers and their data.
4. Trojans
This type of malware disguises itself very well as a legitimate-looking program. Once you download it, hackers can get full access and control of your device, data and network. They can even be hidden in games, apps and attachments. They cannot self-replicate, though, so we guess that’s… good news?
5. Worms
Worms can replicate, just like viruses, but you don’t need to actually activate the infected program for them to get going. They can be used for various purposes, ranging from data deletion to file encryption to support a ransomware attack.
Credit: Growtika on Unsplash
6. Spyware
Spyware refers to malicious software that stays hidden on your computer and monitors your activity. The best-known type is keyloggers. This can be used to steal sensitive data like passwords and banking information.
7. Rootkits
Rootkits are among the most dangerous types of malware. They allow administrative access and full control of a device, which lets hackers continue hijacking all your data and monitoring your activity without your knowledge.
8. Botnets
Botnets are networks made up of bots - computers that cybercriminals have infected with malicious software. Bots and botnets give hackers remote access to users’ devices and allow them to spy on your camera, take screenshots, memorize passwords and launch Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This one truly makes your hair stand on end.
What can you do about it?
You know the old adage - better safe than sorry. And trust us, malware attacks are such a pain in the you-know-what that you really don’t want to be sorry.
Luckily, there are simple solutions that can shield you from most digital threats these days. What you want to be looking at is a solid antivirus program. Well, technically, you need an antimalware program, but since the latter evolved from the former, we still mostly refer to them as antivirus software. The majority of antimalware programs these days don’t just shield you from potential risks online, but include additional features as well. For example, some Bitdefender antivirus packages also include parental control and a VPN. And Bitdefender is not just for PCs either - it offers protection for your beloved iPhone or Android as well. You can throw in a password manager in there too, for an additional layer of security.
Credit: Dan Nelson on Unsplash
If you aren’t too concerned about all these various threats or feel like you don’t need extra security, you can at least take a step to protect your information from being exposed to lurking cybercriminals as you’re browsing. This can be done through a good VPN like Surfshark, which hides your identity in the digital space and prevents your data from being tracked.
Choosing the right protective software is especially important if you have children with access to the Internet, since they’re unfortunately even more vulnerable to malicious attacks. If you aren’t sure what the right kind of antimalware program is right for you, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help keep your entire household or office digitally secure.
The bottom line
The truth is that there’s no way to be 100% protected in the online world. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to infiltrate our devices. But malware-battling software evolves along with them and there’s still plenty you can do to keep risks away. Stay safe!