Forum Discussion
Privacy and Security Vulnerabilities on PC
I'm concerned about potential privacy and security vulnerabilities on my PC, as I've noticed unusual background processes running and unexpected network activity even when no applications are open. I've run basic antivirus scans and checked my firewall settings, but I'm still worried that my system might be compromised or that my personal data could be exposed to unauthorized parties without my knowledge.
1 Reply
Hi Sdabella, I would treat this carefully but step by step. First disconnect from any unknown Wi-Fi or VPN, then run a full Microsoft Defender scan and also run Microsoft Defender Offline scan. Next, check installed apps, browser extensions, startup apps, and Task Manager for anything you do not recognize. For network activity, use Resource Monitor or Task Manager to see which process is making the connection. Do not delete random Windows files just because the names look strange, because many normal Windows services have odd names. If you can share the process names and locations, people can help identify what is normal and what is suspicious.
