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Study Guide: CompTIA A+ Core Certification: Software Troubleshooting - Troubleshooting Common PC Security Issues
Source: https://www.fatskills.com/comptia-a-exam/chapter/comptia-a-core-certification-software-troubleshooting-troubleshooting-common-pc-security-issues

CompTIA A+ Core Certification: Software Troubleshooting - Troubleshooting Common PC Security Issues

By Fatskills Exam Guides Team — the exam nerds behind 28,500+ quizzes and 2.1M practice questions across 500+ global exams.

⏱️ ~5 min read

220-1102: Objective 3.2: Given a scenario, troubleshoot common personal computer (PC) security issues.
This section helps you deal with PC security issues, including common symptoms of malware infections and software tools to battle malware. Special attention is given to network connectivity because that is among the most common problems IT technicians face.

Common Symptoms
Trying to cover every PC security issue you might encounter in the field is a fool’s errand. Instead, this section covers the most common PC-related security issues that might appear in an A+ exam question, paying special attention to network access.
Before you do anything else, check connectivity on other devices on the network. If none of the devices can connect, then take these measures.
In Windows 10, a red X icon appears on the taskbar next to the network icon when connectivity issues arise. Sometimes the failure is not the network: The security settings might not allow access to the network.
The first step is to check connectivity on other devices on the network. If only one device is affected, disconnect that device from its wireless network and then reconnect to it. For a wired network, restart the computer.

Other troubleshooting tasks related to network access are as follows:
- Verify the name of the assigned or desired network. A hotspot might be down, causing problems authenticating to another access point.
- In Windows 10, click the network icon in the taskbar to open the Network Status window. A Troubleshoot button appears there if you are not connected.
- For connection problems with any OS, turn off the broadband modem or access device, wait about a minute, and then turn the modem or device back on. Then turn off the router, wait about a minute, and turn the router on again. If the problem was with the broadband modem or access device, this should solve the problem. If this does not solve the problem, contact the ISP; the problem might be on the ISP network.


Table: Common Symptoms of PC Security Issues

Symptom Possible Causes
No access to the network Internet connectivity problems that do not affect all computers and devices on the network could be caused by malware. Run troubleshooters to repair the problem. If the problem continues to occur, scan the systems.
Desktop alerts The Notifications and Quick Actions center is easily accessed on the taskbar next to the time and date. Notifications can be edited by going to Settings System Notifications and Actions. Options include connectivity, VPN, network, and settings notifications, as well as notifications from apps. OS updates also can be sent here. A regular check of the Notifications and Quick Actions center can help keep small problems from turning into big ones.
False alerts regarding antivirus protection Security alerts from Windows Defender or from your OS might indicate malware infection or other problems. Sometimes alerts that pop up without any notification in Defender or the Action Center are attempts to infect your system by tricking you into clicking a phishing link in the pop-up. Scan the system.
Rogue antivirus programs look like legitimate antivirus programs but actually are designed to infect your system or phish users for personal information. Uninstall any such program and scan the computer.
Altered system or personal files Malware infections might rename system files (such as msconfig, regedit, and taskmgr) that can help block malware.
Files can go missing or be renamed on your storage devices if they are corrupted, infected with malware, unknowingly hidden, or automatically moved by a program without user acknowledgement. Files that have actually disappeared and have not been moved or artificially hidden can often be recovered with undeletion software that scans the hard drive for files that are no longer recorded in the file allocation table, the storage device data that tracks where files start and end. Undeleted malware-infected files can reinfect a system if they are not properly cleaned before use.
Unwanted notifications within the OS Notifications can be easily managed in Windows 10 by going to Settings System Notifications & Actions. From this page, you can customize notifications and alerts from Windows and from individual apps that are installed.
OS update failures A common reason OS updates fail is lack of disk space. Make sure ample free disk space is available; some updates can be quite large.
Also make sure that automatic updates are not blocked by antivirus protection settings.

 


Browser-Related Symptoms
Often the performance of the preferred browser can indicate problems with malware infection or fraudulent apps on the device. Table 8-4 lists browser issues and their possible causes.

Table: Browser-Related Symptoms

 

 

Symptom Possible Causes
Random or frequent pop-ups If the browser has pop-up blocking enabled but pop-ups are still showing up, the system might be infected with malware. If many pop-ups are displayed onscreen rapidly and they keep showing up even as they are closed, the system is almost certainly infected and needs to be scanned immediately.
Certificate warnings Operating systems and browsers use digital certificates to determine the valid sources of apps and drivers. Certificates that have been obtained fraudulently from a certificate authority can be used to launch malware attacks.
Browser redirection Browser redirection, also known as browser hijacking, takes place when the home page setting for your browser is changed without your permission. Some free apps offer to change your browser home page during installation, but you can opt in or opt out of the change. If an app changes your browser home page without notifying you, it could be malware. Scan the system.

 


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