Have you ever thought that your computer might be hijacked and someone is monitoring your every move on the internet? If you suspect that this might be the case, there are a few ways to verify it and protect yourself from it in the future.
One effective method is to install an anti-spyware program that not only detects spyware but also other threats such as open network ports and webcam monitoring. Some good options include Spyware Blaster, Avast Free Antivirus, Malwarebytes, Super Anti-Spyware, and Spybot. These programs will alert you whenever they find a breach, and you can either enable a block to prevent it from happening again or be informed that the program has already blocked it for you.
Another way to check whether your computer is being monitored is to view all the active connections it is making with something on the internet. TCP View is a great way to do this on Windows. You can see which process on your computer is connected to a specific remote address. To make this process easier, shut down your web browser and minimize internet activity, then sort the list by remote port to find anything out of place. If TCP View shows that your computer is being monitored remotely, right-click the process to end the connection and do some research to learn how it got on your computer, so you can prevent it from happening again.
Your computer connects to the internet via network ports, and there might be more ports open than the common ones like port 80, 21, and 443, depending on what you’ve installed on your computer and whether you have port forwarding rules up. This can be a problem because someone could take advantage of them to send or receive files like viruses, passwords, images, and more. To scan the ports on your network, use a port checker and close the ports by logging into your router or blocking them with a firewall program.
Lastly, one common way a computer starts being monitored remotely is through malware. Whether you intentionally installed a program or it was installed as bundleware, you should always check the programs that are currently installed. Remove any apps you don’t recognize or programs that you don’t use anymore. A program called Iobit Uninstaller can help you do this effectively.
In conclusion, monitoring your internet activity without your knowledge can be invasive and dangerous. By following these steps, you can detect and prevent it from happening again in the future.