Can’t recognize a bad app on your PC? It’s not your fault
Recently, I refreshed an older PC—that is, I reset Windows using the existing installation files on the laptop. When everything came up new again, I spotted several apps on the PC I didn’t want. Games whose origin I didn’t even know. Helper apps that I didn’t need. Bloatware.
I also set up a new phone for a friend, and it really went hard with these extraneous apps.
After spending more than an hour nuking unwanted programs, I realized companies have trained people out of recognizing bad software. How is a normal person supposed to immediately spot the difference between a legitimate game and malware in disguise, if your phone or PC already randomly installs new programs from the start?
These days, laptops have become a bit less cluttered with this nonsense. Still, it’s an important skill to recognize what’s installed on your system from the beginning. Even if your PC isn’t a fresh install, taking inventory now is worthwhile.
Open Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, then scroll through the list. All the programs there should be ones you chose to install—or know for sure are affiliated with standard Windows services.
Same goes for your browser, too. Browser extensions are essentially “little apps that live in [your] browser,” in the words of security expert Mike Danseglio, so they can be exploited and attacked similar to Windows programs.
In both instances, you should know who created the app or extension, if they’re reputable, and if they likely have good security policies. (Why care about that last point? Legitimate software can be taken over by bad actors, who then turn the app into malware with an update.)
Don’t recognize anything? Search for the app or extension name, plus the developer name, and then look for reputable sites or forums that describe its purpose. (I have to do this myself sometimes.) If not an integral part of Windows, nuke it. Same for any apps and extensions you no longer use and won’t in the future, since legit software can be taken over by hackers.
Knowing and understanding what lives on your PC is key to spotting weird, unwanted apps. And the faster you notice them, the quicker you can avoid damage from nasty stuff like ransomware, infostealers, and the like. Antivirus is a key protection you should have active on your PC, yes, but it’s not failsafe. Be your own best backup.