You’re sitting there, scrolling, maybe checking your bank balance or finishing a work email, and something just feels... off. A window flickers. Your mouse moves an inch to the left, but your hand didn't touch it. It’s that sinking feeling in your gut. Honestly, most people realize their digital life has been hijacked not because of a giant "YOU ARE HACKED" skull appearing on the screen, but because of tiny, annoying glitches that don't add up. How do you know if your computer is hacked before they drain your savings or steal your identity? It’s rarely like the movies. There are no cascading green numbers. Usually, it's just a quiet, persistent mess.
Let’s be real: hackers don’t want to be found. If they’re smart, they want to sit on your machine for months, harvesting passwords and using your processing power to mine crypto. But they aren't perfect. They leave digital footprints. If you’ve got a weird feeling, you’re probably right to be suspicious.
The "Glitch" That Isn't a Glitch
Sometimes a slow computer is just old. Other times, it's a symptom. If your cooling fans are screaming like a jet engine while you're just looking at a blank Word doc, something is eating your resources. Check your Activity Monitor (Mac) or Task Manager (Windows).
Look for processes you don’t recognize. Names that look like gibberish—random strings of letters like "xhdye.exe"—are a massive red flag. According to cybersecurity researchers at CrowdStrike, modern malware often "lives off the land," using legitimate system tools to hide, but they still show up as unusual spikes in CPU or network usage. If your "System Idle Process" is low but your CPU is at 90%, you've got a guest.
Your Browser Has a New "Friend"
This is a classic. You open Chrome or Firefox and suddenly your homepage is some weird search engine you’ve never heard of. Maybe it’s "CoolSearch Tab" or some other junk. You try to change it back in settings, but it just... stays there. This is browser hijacking. It usually happens when you download a "free" PDF converter or a game mod that came bundled with a malicious extension. These extensions can see everything. They log your keystrokes. They see your passwords as you type them. If you see a new toolbar you didn't install, treat it like a housebreaker sitting on your sofa.
The Password Paradox
If you get an email from Netflix or Instagram saying your password was changed, and you didn't touch it, you are officially in the "hacked" category. It’s not a drill. Hackers love Credential Stuffing. This is where they take a password leaked from an old site—like that random forum you joined in 2017—and try it on every other site.
Why Your Friends Are Getting Weird Demos
Ever had a friend text you asking, "Hey, why did you send me a link to a crypto platform at 3 AM?"
If your email or social media accounts are sending out links without your permission, your session tokens have likely been stolen. You don't even need to "lose" your password for this to happen. Malware can snatch the "cookies" that keep you logged in, allowing a hacker to bypass your 2FA entirely. It’s a sophisticated move, but it’s becoming incredibly common.
🔗 Read more: Spotify Downgrade to 1.255: Why People Are Doing It and How You Can Too
The Antivirus is Dead
One of the most aggressive signs is your security software simply turning off. You try to open Windows Defender or your paid Norton/Bitdefender subscription, and it won't launch. Or, even worse, it tells you "Everything is Fine" while your computer is clearly melting down. Some malware is specifically coded to disable or "blind" antivirus programs first. If you try to visit a site like Malwarebytes or BleepingComputer and your browser suddenly crashes or says the site is "unavailable," a piece of malware is likely blocking your access to help. It’s a digital hostage situation.
Strange Network Traffic
Your router is the gateway. If you see the lights on your modem blinking furiously in the middle of the night when every device should be asleep, data is moving. Hackers might be using your computer as a "zombie" in a DDoS attack or as a relay point for their own traffic.
Check your data usage in your OS settings. If you’ve uploaded 50GB of data in two days and you haven't touched a cloud drive or YouTube, someone is exfiltrating your files. They are literally stealing your photos, documents, and private info over the wire.
The Webcam Light Ghost
This is the stuff of nightmares. That little green or white LED next to your laptop camera. If it flickers on for a split second when you aren't using Zoom, cover it immediately. While some advanced hackers can disable the light while keeping the camera on (especially on older laptops), a flickering light is a dead giveaway that a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) is active. Someone is watching you. Literally.
How to Take Your Digital Life Back
So, the worst happened. You're pretty sure you're compromised. Don't panic, but move fast. The longer you wait, the more accounts they get into.
- Disconnect. Pull the Ethernet cord. Turn off the Wi-Fi. A hacker can't control a machine they can't reach. This stops the data bleed instantly.
- Boot into Safe Mode. This starts your computer with the bare minimum of drivers and programs. Most malware won't load in Safe Mode, giving you a chance to run a clean scan.
- The "Clean Machine" Password Reset. Do NOT change your passwords from the hacked computer. Use a different device—your phone (on 5G, not the same Wi-Fi) or a tablet. Start with your primary email, then your bank, then everything else.
- Audit Your 2FA. Check if the hacker added a "backdoor" to your accounts. They often add their own phone number or a secondary email to your "Recovery" settings so they can get back in after you change your password.
- Wipe it? Maybe. Honestly, if the infection is deep—like a rootkit—sometimes the only way to be 100% sure is to wipe the drive and reinstall the OS. It’s a pain, but it’s better than wondering if a keylogger is still hiding in your registry.
Real-World Example: The "Lazarus" Style
Back in the Day, the Sony Pictures hack started with simple phishing. Employees thought they were just seeing weird system errors. By the time the IT team realized what was happening, the hackers had already spent weeks mapping the network. This happens to individuals too. It’s a slow burn.
Actionable Next Steps
If you suspect you're currently being targeted, follow this exact sequence:
💡 You might also like: Why the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (10th Gen) is Still a Weirdly Good Deal
- Check HaveIBeenPwned: Enter your email to see if your data was leaked in a recent breach. This is usually how the whole mess starts.
- Kill the Session: In your Google or Facebook security settings, click "Log out of all other sessions." This kicks the hacker out immediately, even if they have your "session cookie."
- Install an Outbound Firewall: Tools like Little Snitch (Mac) or GlassWire (PC) alert you every time a program tries to connect to the internet. If "Calculator" is trying to talk to a server in a country you've never visited, block it.
- Hardware Keys: Stop relying on SMS codes for 2FA. They can be intercepted via SIM swapping. Get a YubiKey or use an authenticator app like Authy. It makes it nearly impossible for a remote hacker to get into your accounts even if they have your password.
Identity theft isn't just about money; it's about the weeks of stress spent trying to prove you are who you say you are. Staying paranoid is, unfortunately, part of the job description for owning a computer in 2026. Keep your software updated, stop clicking "Allow" on every browser pop-up, and if the mouse moves by itself—yank the plug.