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I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Unplug your WiFi router. (Not necessary, but the safest thing possible.)
2. Disconnect from WiFi.
3. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

4. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
5. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from (or stored on) the infected machine from a non-infected machine. You probably cannot remember anything, so focus on:

1. Email passwords: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, and any corporate accounts

2. Financial passwords: banks, retirement, stock broker, sites like Mint.com

3. Shopping passwords

[TODO(djechlin): any reason to think credit cards are compromised? If so cancel them and call bank.]

I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Unplug your WiFi router. (Not necessary, but the safest thing possible.)
2. Disconnect from WiFi.
3. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

4. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
5. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from (or stored on) the infected machine from a non-infected machine. You probably cannot remember anything, so focus on:

1. Email passwords: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, and any corporate accounts

2. Financial passwords: banks, retirement, stock broker, sites like Mint.com

3. Shopping passwords

I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Disconnect from WiFi.
2. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

3. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
4. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from (or stored on) the infected machine (or at least all the passwords on sites that could make you cry if they were compromised).

I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Unplug your WiFi router. (Not necessary, but the safest thing possible.)
2. Disconnect from WiFi.
3. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

4. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
5. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from (or stored on) the infected machine from a non-infected machine. You probably cannot remember anything, so focus on:

1. Email passwords: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, and any corporate accounts

2. Financial passwords: banks, retirement, stock broker, sites like Mint.com

3. Shopping passwords

[TODO(djechlin): any reason to think credit cards are compromised? If so cancel them and call bank.]

I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Disconnect from WiFi.
2. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

3. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
4. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from the infected machine (or at least the passwords on sites that could make you cry if they were compromised). If you know with 100% certainty the exact moment that you got the virus, then you could just limit it to those passwords you entered in after that moment in time (which hopefully was not the password to a password manager, in which case you may need to assume they have all been compromised).

I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Is it dangerous to keep using the computer while it is infected?

The very first thing you should do upon determining your machine is infected is isolate it. This means you must completely disconnect it from the internet and your local network, and disconnect any peripheral devices with the exception of the bare necessities to clean it.

To take it offline, if the machine is connected via a network cable, pull it out. If it is connected via WiFi, then perform these steps if possible (in order):

1. Disconnect from WiFi.
2. Disable your WiFi driver on the infected machine.

Recommended:

3. If your local WiFi network has a password to connect to it, change it. If it does not have a password, create one using the strongest encryption algorithm your router and clients support.
4. If your router has the option, block the MAC address of the infected machine from connecting to WiFi.

Note that the reasons for 2-4 above is that a sophisticated virus could re-enable the WiFi driver and reconnect to your network (or any network). It's possible the virus could also know all of your current passwords for anything you access form that machine, including your WiFi password.

Once the machine is isolated you should be relatively safe to continue on with your life until you have time to deal with it. Until the machine is cleaned all file transfers should be done via a thumb drive, CD/DVD, external drive, etc. That being said, before you do anything else, immediately change your email password and all passwords that you have ever typed in from (or stored on) the infected machine (or at least all the passwords on sites that could make you cry if they were compromised).