I think I've gotten an infostealer by downloading something from a link. Since then, I've faced a few issues, like my Discord account getting banned and my Telegram account spamming links. I've spoken with a tech guy, and we're planning a full wipe of my system. I've also changed my email passwords on my phone and enabled two-factor authentication. Now I'm really worried about my photos, documents, and game progress. Is there a secure way to backup these files, or do you think they've been affected by the malware?
4 Answers
Honestly, wiping everything is the best bet. You can back up your files and game saves without too much worry; infostealers usually don’t target personal files directly. However, just to be safe, scan everything with Windows Defender after you've backed up your stuff.
First, disconnect your device from the internet immediately. After that, secure your accounts using another device — make sure to enable two-factor authentication everywhere you can. To back up files, try booting from a Linux USB (like Ubuntu). Once booted, you can transfer your non-infected files safely. Also, don't forget to perform a thorough scan on any files you decide to bring back later!
Would uploading to Google Photos keep my JPEGs safe? I’ve got enough storage!
It sounds like your files are probably safe if they weren’t individually targeted, but it’s best to proceed cautiously. Check your files thoroughly before backing them up; if something seems off, don’t risk transferring it. It's wise to use a separate, trusted device or cloud service for backups, so they stay safe from the malware. Just make sure your backup method is secure!
Could I just upload my photos to Imgur and re-download them later? Would that work?
Make sure to backup using an external device if you decide to do a wipe. Just a heads up though, there aren’t many viruses that get into personal files because that’s super complicated. Just be safe and scan anything you move back!
But didn’t some viruses hide in files like documents or photos? It's not impossible, right?
I plan to, but is there a way to save my photos to Google Photos safely first?