New Horizons Technologies Blog

As a computer repair company just north of Houston, TX we see many computers and laptops come through our office due to what many people consider viruses. From what we have found however, most of these problems are not viruses but browser hijackers. A browser hijacker is a type of spyware that allows the hacker to send pop-ups through a computers internet browser. Most of these pop-ups we have seen have been in the form of anti-virus notifications alleging there is a virus on the computer and wanting to scan the computer for other viruses. Once the initial scan is complete the pop-up will show how many viruses are supposedly on the computer and then tell you that to clean the viruses off the computer you will have to pay for the anti-virus program. If you decide to enter your payment information the pop-up will go away and the hacker will then have your credit card information. NEVER give your credit card information to a site you are not 100% sure of. The problem lies in the fact that the browser hijacker is not a virus but a spyware so your typical anti-virus program will not be able to detect or remove this treat. The best protection is a good spyware detection and removal program. If you do get this spyware on your computer and don’t have a spyware program to remove it we have found that in some cases the only way to remove it is to completely reformat the computer and start over. For help with protection or removal of spyware, viruses or adware near the Houston area please contact us at http://www.nhtg.org/contact_us.html.