One of the most common questions we get is whether our customers can control their computers remotely from anywhere in the world.
Some people worry that hackers or bad guys can hack into their PCs through remote access. Is this something that you should worry about? If so, then read on…
The answer is no. The computer will not allow you to access it remotely unless you have enabled remote access.
The only way that someone else can access your computer remotely without you knowing is if they have physical control of your computer. This means that someone has your laptop, or you connected to a public network, such as at a coffee shop or airport.
In this case, someone can access your computer with your permission. If you have ever used a shared public computer, you might have noticed a small pop-up. Further, ask if you want to allow a remote user to access the computer.
If the person who hacked into your computer is not physically near it, then they are accessing it remotely. And they only have access to what their administrator gave them permission to use.
In this case, the hacker must already have access to your PC and therefore could already do anything they want on it (such as installing malware or stealing files).
So if you think someone is accessing your PC remotely, then check for any unauthorized software or files that might be installed on your computer. If necessary, we can help remove this for you by running an anti-virus scan of your machine in a lab.
It does not provide remote access to our customers’ computers. This helps prevent unauthorized people from accessing your computer without your knowledge.
How do I protect the device?
Whether you have a computer or a tablet, the best way to protect it is to use the latest up-to-date operating system. This will keep you up-to-date with any software or security patches that are from the manufacturer.
We recommend using a secure connection when using the Internet. This means that your data is encrypted and therefore cannot be stolen by a hacker while it is in transit.
A secure connection indicates “https” on the web address. Make sure you use this whenever you can, such as when entering passwords, signing into your e-mail account, or logging into social networks such as Facebook.
We also recommend installing an anti-virus program on your computer. This will help protect you from viruses, malware and spyware.
We also recommend installing a firewall on your computer, which will help prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer via the internet.
If you have an Android device, then make sure that you have enabled the “unknown sources” setting so that you can install applications outside of Google Play Store.
What should I do if I think my device has been hacked?
If you think that someone has installed something malicious on your computer (such as spyware or a virus), then we recommend running a full system scan using an anti-virus program such as Spybot Search & Destroy or Malwarebytes. We also recommend uninstalling any programs that you do not recognize or remember installing yourself.