Question How to tell is someone else is on your computer/if theres a hacker

[DinoSARUsRex]

Hello! I have been using discord for a long time, and I recently had a old friend get their account hacked and they had said some things they were in a class for school ect and I clicked on a link that downloaded some virus. The best thing I knew to do was reinstall everything to factory default. Is there still a possibility that this person/hacker could be on my pc? I am just wondering before I open and access personal information on my desktop if that's still safe to do. is there a scan or something I can run like more in depth than malwarebytes premium?

thanks in advance

 

[Aeacus]

and I clicked on a link that downloaded some virus.

Malwarebytes Premium also includes Browser Guard, to protect your PC from browser based malware. So, why you didn't have it running?

Is there still a possibility that this person/hacker could be on my pc?

Possibility? Yes.

In an event of malware infection, there are varying degrees of things you can do, to be sure that your system is clean.
From lowest to highest:
* Run malware scan.
* Format OS drive.
* Format ALL drives connected to the system (since malware usually infects all connected drives and not just OS drive).
* Replace all drives. (Not all malware can be get rid of with format. Not even with deep level format.)
* Replace MoBo. (Specific malware, namely some rootkits, will infect BIOS and only fix is MoBo replacement.)

So, your call at what level you feel "safe".

Of course, highest level of security can be only achieved when you don't have the PC connected to internet, at all. This way, it doesn't matter if there is "someone" on your PC, since they can't access the PC via net.

 

[DinoSARUsRex]

Malwarebytes Premium also includes Browser Guard, to protect your PC from browser based malware. So, why you didn't have it running?


Possibility? Yes.

In an event of malware infection, there are varying degrees of things you can do, to be sure that your system is clean.
From lowest to highest:
* Run malware scan.
* Format OS drive.
* Format ALL drives connected to the system (since malware usually infects all connected drives and not just OS drive).
* Replace all drives. (Not all malware can be get rid of with format. Not even with deep level format.)
* Replace MoBo. (Specific malware, namely some rootkits, will infect BIOS and only fix is MoBo replacement.)

So, your call at what level you feel "safe".

Of course, highest level of security can be only achieved when you don't have the PC connected to internet, at all. This way, it doesn't matter if there is "someone" on your PC, since they can't access the PC via net.

tysm

 

[nuttynut]

Hello! I have been using discord for a long time, and I recently had a old friend get their account hacked and they had said some things they were in a class for school ect and I clicked on a link that downloaded some virus. The best thing I knew to do was reinstall everything to factory default. Is there still a possibility that this person/hacker could be on my pc? I am just wondering before I open and access personal information on my desktop if that's still safe to do. is there a scan or something I can run like more in depth than malwarebytes premium?

thanks in advance

I really don't think that Discord token stealers have persistence. They absolutely cannot survive a full reformat. That would take a firmware rootkit.

 

[Aeacus]

I really don't think that Discord token stealers have persistence.

That, and Discord does show pop-up before clicking any link, to ask again if the link is secure and if one wants to access the link. So, when user disregards all safety measures, it is on the user what follows.

 

[DinoSARUsRex]

Thanks again for everyone for the help! The only thing is I don’t know what a format is, or what firmware rootkit is either how do I check for it and make sure I don’t have one? I am assuming it’s a bad thing?!?

 

[Aeacus]

The only thing is I don’t know what a format is

Oh my.... at this point, i don't advise doing the format, since it WILL wipe all the data off from your PC. And if you don't know what format is, you even won't know what to do when re-install fails and you can't boot to OS anymore.

Best to haul your PC to PC repair shop and let them to do the formatting and reinstalling part.

But if interested, video guide for it is here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTX56Av5ylg

firmware rootkit

Further reading: https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/rootkits/