Does a VPN Protect You From Viruses? (New for 2024)

The bottom line: Both a VPN and antivirus play important roles in your overall digital security — but they can’t shield you against all scammers and online threats. 

Modern all-in-one providers like Aura protect you against hackers and scammers from all angles — with a military-grade VPN, powerful antivirus, a password manager, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered scam protection, identity theft protection, fraud alerts, and more. Try Aura free for 14 days and get comprehensive protection against fraudsters.

💡 Related: Do You Actually Need Antivirus Software? [Answered] →

How To Tell If Your Device Has Been Infected With Malware

Malware can wreak havoc on your devices or operate undetected in the background. In either situation, you want to rid yourself of malware as soon as you can. The quicker you can detect it, the better chance you have of minimizing damage and escaping unscathed. 

While antivirus software is your best bet for viruses, malware does come with signals that could tip you off. Here are some of the biggest malware warning signs:

• Slow or hot device. Viruses and malware could cause your devices to act strangely — usually by slowing down or getting extremely hot while performing basic actions. This indicates something is eating up your resources in the background.
• Your passwords don’t work. Malware can change your passwords or steal them and send them to the initiator. Along with changed passwords, you might also encounter password change requests out of nowhere. 
• New apps on your phone or computer. If your device is infected, you may notice new apps appearing without authorization. This can be caused by hacked devices, drive-by downloads on malicious websites, and trojan apps.  
• Higher than usual data usage. Different types of malware leech your bandwidth by secretly running resource-heavy ads, hijacking your browser traffic, or downloading and uploading files. This can consume your data and bog down your system. 
• Odd network activity. Malware can cause your network to act up. You may notice more freezing, crashing, or lagging than normal. This can be caused by silent data transfers, traffic congestion, and large numbers of DNS requests. 
• Strange pop-ups and notifications. Adware is a type of malware that causes a significant number of pop-ups to appear. If you see an abnormal amount of pop-ups, even when you're not on the internet, malware is likely the culprit. 
• Unrecognized messages in your “sent” folders. Along with accessing your personal information, scammers may want access to your email and social media accounts to access your contacts and send spam. Malware may help fraudsters steal your login credentials, change your email rules, and spoof your identity. 
• Unauthorized changes. Malware can make many different changes to your devices and systems. It can modify files, change your browser, alter your security settings, and tinker with your network. 

Do You Think Your Device Has a Virus? Here’s What To Do

• Isolate your device. Cut off the internet access and remove the infected device from your network to stop the issue from spreading. 
• Run an antivirus scan. If you have antivirus software, update it and scan your device. If the malware interferes with the scan, run an offline scan. 
• Back up your important information. Before attempting to remove the virus, perform a backup. Viruses can damage files, and you might make a mistake during the removal. Beware that viruses could infect your backup files. Always run an antivirus scan on your backups to avoid re-infecting your device.
• Restore to a healthy backup (if possible). If you have a healthy backup, you can overwrite your system and return it to a clean state. You may still need to deal with your system vulnerabilities that caused the infection in the first place. 
• Delete temporary and suspicious files and applications. Malware often uses temporary files and folders because they are accessible and can evade detection by antivirus software. When deleting suspicious files and applications, start with the temporaries. Use safe mode if you encounter challenges removing files or applications. 
• Update or reinstall your software and operating system. By updating your system, you may overwrite viruses or unauthorized changes and make them ineffective. You could also benefit from patched vulnerabilities and enhanced security.
• Change account passwords. After completing the above steps, change and strengthen all of your passwords to reduce the chances of reinfection. 

💡 Related: How To Tell If Your Computer Has a Virus (and What To Do) →

How To Stay Safe Online (and Avoid Viruses) 

Viruses are everywhere. While advances in browser security have improved privacy for online users, even the safest and more secure channels are being challenged. 

A VPN can't protect you by itself, but it can complement a solid digital security setup and good cyber hygiene. 

With that in mind, here are some of the best ways that you can stay safe online: 

• Use unique passwords and a password manager. A secure password manager stores all of your credentials in one place, so you can use complex passwords for each account without worrying about forgetting them. Aura’s password manager gives you access to your passwords with a single click and can even warn you if they’ve been compromised in a data breach. 
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts. 2FA adds an extra hurdle for hackers because it requires two methods of identification, such as a password and a one-time-use code sent to a registered mobile device. 
• Regularly update your apps and operating system. Apps and operating systems provide updates to improve security and patch vulnerabilities. Check regularly for updates to your Windows, Chrome OS, MacOS, or iOS devices. 
• Learn the warning signs of a phishing scam. You can avoid most phishing scams by knowing about and spotting their traps. Still, new phishing scams pop up all the time, so it's important to stay updated on what's out there. 
• Use a Dark Web scanner to warn you if your data has been compromised. Dark Web scanners monitor the most common places where stolen information goes. You can even search for your information for free, using Aura's leaked password scanner. 
• Use only secure websites. Check to make sure that the websites you visit — especially those on which you share information — have updated and official security certificates, an HTTPS url, and a padlock icon.  
• Stick to the official stores. Whenever you download an app, software, or game, stay away from unofficial online stores. Apps from these locations may have embedded malware or malicious code that you could inadvertently allow to bypass your firewalls. 
• Avoid untrustworthy links. Don't click on any links that you don't trust. Instead, go right to the source. You should also get into the habit of scanning email attachments with antivirus software and using a link checker, like Google's Safe Browsing.

Computer viruses not only threaten your devices — they endanger your online and financial accounts, as well. 

With Aura’s all-in-one solution, you get a reliable VPN, along with antivirus and robust fraud and identity theft protection. Aura helps manage your passwords and monitor your personal information, while also providing U.S.-based 24/7 support and $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage if something does go wrong. 

Secure yourself and your family against hackers. Try Aura free for 14 days.