Can Someone Control My Laptop Remotely?

Have you ever considered the privacy norms when buying the best laptop for remote work?

Is it possible for someone to remotely control your laptop?

Unfortunately, the answer is YES! Without your knowledge, a hacker or an individual may remotely monitor your device.

Privacy is vital, and as we immerse ourselves in the digital realm, it’s reasonable to wonder if our digital privacy is being violated.

VPN services can efficiently mask our online activities, but they won’t assist somebody who has direct access to the device and uses it against your permission.

This article will show you how to check for signs of remote connections and access, lock down your PC, and prevent intrusions in the future.

How To Know if Someone is Remotely Accessing My PC?

Here are some ways you can try to know if someone is remotely controlling your laptop or PC –

Step 1: Turn Off your Computer and Disconnect it from the Internet

Because of the internet, anything is possible. No internet means no one can distantly view your computer; if you have any doubts that someone else is using your computer in the same way you are, disconnect your internet right away. It’s possible that deactivating the internet from the taskbar isn’t enough because it can simply reconnect on its own. 

Step 2: Look Through the List of Files you’ve Recently Accessed

Examine the documents and apps that you’ve lately used. Both Windows and Mac computers make it simple to see a list of the most frequently opened files and apps. If you notice anything unusual in these listings, someone may have accessed your computer.

Step 3: Check Your Computer’s Internet History

You may also check your browsing history to see whether someone is snooping on your computer. You can check your browser’s history regardless of whatever one you use.

How to Check your Google Chrome Browsing History

• Go to the Chrome web browser.
• Select history from the three dots in the upper right corner.

The history of your searches will be displayed. Examine attentively to check if you’ve completed all of the searches. Someone may be remotely watching your PC if you have strange searches.

How to Check Your Safari Browsing History

• On your Mac device, open Safari.
• Then select “History” and “Show All History.” Any search you did not initiate could indicate that someone remotely accessed your device.

Step 4: New Programmes Installed

You may see new apps or files on your computer in some cases. It could have been hacked if you were the computer’s lone user and installed new programmes.

Step 5:  Computer Passwords have Changed

Hackers may alter the passwords of several accounts after gaining access to a victim’s personal information. To reset the password, use the forgot password option. If your e-mail address has changed or this feature is not working, please contact the service provider. They are the only ones who can reactivate your account and restore your control.

Things to Do If your Laptop or PC has been Hacked

If you believe your computer has been hacked, follow the instructions below –

Change All Your Passwords

If your computer has been hacked, a keylogger may have captured all of your passwords. Reset the password for all of your accounts once you’re sure the problem is gone. Using the same password for different services is not a good idea.

Log out of Everything

After you’ve changed your passwords, log out of all of your accounts. Make sure you log out of any devices currently connected to the account. This ensures that your new passwords take effect and that no one else can use your old ones.

If you still can’t get rid of the incursion, perform a full system wipe. If you’re still getting incursions or think you could be infected, the only way to know is to erase your computer and reinstall your os. Because everything will be destroyed and restored, you’ll need to back up any important data.

Before backing up any data from an affected system, scan each file. There’s always the risk of reinfection if you reintroduce an old file.

Defending Against Future Intrusions

Most attacks will be detected by an up-to-date antivirus application before they occur. Windows has an application called Windows Defender, an effective antivirus that updates itself and runs in the background. BitDefender, avast!, and AVG are just a few of the free apps accessible. You simply need to install one antivirus application.

FAQs

Final Words

There are several ways to tell if somebody is remotely monitoring your computer, and we’ve covered a few of the most common ones for both Windows and Mac machines.