Tuesday Tip: Do This if You Accidentally Visit a Malicious Website

We are all human, and as careful as we are, you clicked on a web page you shouldn’t have and now you’re not sure what to do. Here are some clues the bad guys have tricked you into clicking on a malicious website:

• You clicked a link on a page and you end up on a page you didn’t expect or your computer freezes up.
• You receive a message warning your computer has a virus and you need to call either Microsoft or Apple.
• You see a message to pay a ransom to prevent encrypted files.

If any of the above are happening, don’t panic! Attempt to resolve the issue immediately.

• DON’T click the ‘Back” button in your browser or interact with the webpage on your screen.
• DON’T call any phone number listed in a warning message, as this will be a scammer.
• DO shut your computer down.
• DO turn the computer back on and allow it to boot back up into Windows.
• DO clear your browser’s cache to ensure you don’t accidentally go back to that site.
• DO run scans to track down and remove any malware the site might have put on your machine.
• DO run additional scans to remove malware.

These steps should hopefully do the trick, but some viruses might not allow you to boot into Windows. Some viruses might require you to reset your Windows installation and reinstall your programs from scratch. Remember to have a backup of important files and react quickly to avoid a virus disaster.