Whether you’re shopping online with PayPal or just browsing the internet, it’s important that you keep your computer and mobile devices secure and protected.
Don’t have a PayPal account? Sign up for free
Viruses and malware (or malicious software) are software that infect your computer or mobile through security holes from out of date software or apps and unsafe downloads. If malware gets on your system, it can capture everything you type, including all your login usernames and passwords, and read all files on your system like your email, financial records, and other personal information. What’s more, malware can take over your system to send out spam emails and attack other peoples’ accounts, meaning you’re not just a victim, your computer or mobile becomes part of the problem.
Hackers will often sell the information they obtain through malware, which can then be used to steal your money and your identity.
File sharing is easy these days and someone could (intentionally or not) email or message you an infected file. Your system can also be compromised by a download that looks safe but isn’t. That’s where antivirus software comes in.
Antivirus software reviews all your incoming emails and downloads for malware and runs scheduled scans to make sure nothing suspicious has snuck onto your system.