Don’t even open the terminal: Even if an internet pop-up says to, never copy and paste code into your “terminal”, “command prompt”, or “power shell”. Always consult an actual technician before attempting something like that.

Turn off the computer: Sometimes, it will feel like you computer is locked up. If your mouse won’t work and you can’t close out of the browser normally, the next best thing you can do is to force-shutdown the computer. Note that many modern browsers will offer to “restore your previous session”. Don’t do that or you’ll probably end up back at the bad web page again.

Ignore most browser warnings: Legitimate tech developers like Google or Microsoft handle background certificate errors automatically and will never ask a consumer to execute localized scripts.

Update your device’s security: Keeping your system up to date with the latest security is often the best way to avoid these. If you’re unsure how, feel free to call our technicians and we’d be glad to point you in the right direction for free.