How to check if a laptop is being tracked and how to handle it effectively?

Personal laptops are common devices and contain a lot of information and data of the owner, so security is very important, especially in today’s developing technology era. The following article will show you how to check if your laptop is being tracked and how to best handle it!

Monitored laptop symptoms

Battery drains too fast

Hot machine and quick battery drain is a common problem in laptops. The battery capacity of the device will drain quickly when some software is running in the background while the device is operating. Those programs could be spyware, viruses, or devices that have been infected with malware.

Therefore, if you find that your device suddenly drops battery too quickly compared to normal, you should be careful, because the device may be infiltrated by tracking software that is operating in the background.

Rapid battery drain is a warning sign that your device has been invaded by a virus

Programs not responding

If you access the programs but do not receive a response or hang , then the chances of your computer being monitored are very high.

Hackers can put code into the application to collect all necessary information related to the user, including data from your device. That makes the programs on the machine unable to operate.

A suspended laptop is also likely to have been accessed by hackers

Laptop running slower than usual

For a new or smooth computer, if you suddenly notice that the computer is running unusually slow, it may be a sign that the laptop is being monitored.

Through downloads, spyware gets into the laptop, consuming more processor resources and slowing it down.

The machine has abnormal signs that will cause the laptop to run slow suddenly

Webcam suddenly working or recording

The webcam icon on the screen or the microphone works unexpectedly, which can indicate that someone is watching you.

Hackers not only steal data from the device, but also take pictures and record the user’s voice. The best way is to use stickers to cover the webcam, turn on / off the microphone when needed.

Webcam suddenly working is a manifestation of hackers taking photos of users

Unusual flashing lights

The next suspicious sign is the sudden blinking of the lights on the laptop. That could be due to the indeterminate streams of data being sent and received on the computer.

In addition, the possibility that viruses or malware has been uploaded or downloaded by hackers without the user’s knowledge is also not excluded.

The light on the machine is blinking abnormally, warning that the hacker is downloading malware

Pop-up ads appear dense

When surfing the web, users inevitably come across ads that appear. If you click it, your laptop may be broken, allowing an ad virus to enter the screen, causing a plug-in display, so hackers can access your data. through the device.

Users should not click on pop-up ads that are rampant on the internet

Browser homepage suddenly changed

One of the warning signs that you have another follower is when the browser homepage suddenly changes, appearing with interfaces that you have never seen before but not set up from home. manufacture.

Besides, the appearance of opened browsers is completely different from what you are looking for, indicating that the laptop has been infected with some kind of spyware.

Your browser’s unexpected changes show that someone is spying on your computer

Browser redirects constantly

When you are searching for any information on the browser but the result is a strange website, the navigation is different, be wary. You should then check your browser extensions and delete those that you didn’t install.

The constant redirection of the browser makes users more alert

Unknown programs appear

If users regularly check the settings and notice the appearance of strange programs that they do not install, that is a sign that your laptop is being compromised. The best way to avoid being tracked or infected with a virus is to remove or remove the program immediately.

Immediately uninstall and remove strange programs that you did not download

Suspicious browser activity

The browser history on the laptop will help users know if their device is being tracked or used by someone in the background.

If in the history there are websites that you have never searched for, please be aware, because at that time someone was trying to access the data in your device and or track you.

Access history helps users know if the laptop is being tracked or not

How to check if a laptop is being tracked?

Check file opening history on laptop

Step 1: Users double-click This PC displayed on the screen.

Click This PC to check the file opening history on the laptop

Step 2: Then select Quick access and choose to view Recent files section.

If there are recent files that are not opened by you, your computer may be being monitored.

Your computer is being monitored if there is a file that you have never opened

Check strange login on laptop

Step 1: Users select the search bar on the Taskbar and type ” event viewer “, then select the Event Viewer application.

Users operate as shown in the picture

Step 2: Next, select Windows Logs and click Security .

Next, select Windows Logs and select Security.

Step 3: Finally, the user chooses Find and type ” 4672 “, select Find Next and check in Event ID 4672 if there is an abnormal time.

For general users only need to care about Event ID 4672

Check CPU status

Step 1: First, users right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager .

Users select Task Manager in the Taskbar

Step 2: Then turn off all applications on the computer and see the CPU working % . If the CPU often runs up to 85-100% when not opening the application, it is very likely that you are being monitored and used in the background.

Check the CPU’s performance, you will know if your computer is being monitored by anyone or not

Check the camera

The webcam indicator light on your laptop automatically turns on if you don’t open it, and you also don’t use any applications that have a webcam, it is also a sign that the device is being monitored. Please turn off or cover the webcam, restart the device to avoid taking pictures or recording stealthily.

Please regularly check the camera on your laptop to limit information theft

How to handle when the computer is tracked

Tracked computers will make users vulnerable to data and personal information theft, so users need to be equipped with ways to handle this case. Some comments can be consulted below:

• Install a trusted anti-virus program.
• Regularly update new operating systems for laptops.
• Absolutely do not access pirated, unsecured websites.
• Software should only be downloaded from the official website
• Limit opening mail from strange accounts.
• Back up the data to a removable memory drive and reinstall the operating system for the laptop.

In fact, nothing can guarantee that our computer is completely secure. So, always be careful when storing or providing personal information on the Internet, and don’t forget to equip your computer with “walls” of protection!

Users should install famous anti-virus software for the best laptop security

The above is a way to help users check and handle when personal laptops are tracked. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below for a quick response!