The month is March 2020 and the world is currently on lockdown because of a human-spread virus. Phrases like “social isolation” and “wash your hands” have become commonplace. People are afraid because of the drastic measures being taken. But are they necessary?
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A couple of years ago, I encountered an incredibly frustrating foe.
It went by the name of “WannaCry” – and boy did it make many tech-heroes “want-to-cry”. This virus would encrypt all of the files on a network and then demand a ransom. This is known as “ransomware”.
If you were surfing the internet and suddenly find yourself looking at a scary website, or staring at a popup window that will not go away, do not panic. (And do not click on anything.)
If the message says you have 1,892 viruses, chances are you do not – even if the message “says” it’s from Microsoft.
If the message says that your entire computer is encrypted, chances are it is not – even if it is making scary noises at you.
If the message says that you have been tagged by the FBI, chances are you have not – even if the message has a lot of scary text or legitimate-looking images.
The goal is to scare you into clicking on the window. Clicking on the window will download a virus. That alone is cause for alarm.
If an unwanted window pops up, do not click the “x”. While this is a typical way to close a window, even the “x” can trigger the virus to download.
Instead, remember 3 simple buttons: CTRL, ALT, and Delete. Pressing these three keys in unison (on a Windows machine) will bring up a blue screen with a menu. At the bottom of the menu is a link to the “Task Manager”.
The “Task Manager” will save you.
Once you launch this fantastic app, it will give you the option to “End Task”. Select the task for your Internet Browser, and click that little “End Task” button.
Your virus pop-up will disappear.
If you happen to click the pop-up, or if the pop-up does not go away, turn off your computer. This will also end the task, and it will prevent the virus from doing further damage. Call your friendly neighborhood tech-hero and let them know what happened. They should be able to run a virus scan and take care of any remnants left behind.