Virus removal & cybersecurity
Virus removal and cybersecurity in Washington, MO
Strange pop-ups, a computer that has suddenly slowed to a crawl, or a full-screen warning telling you to call a number? Augusta Technology removes viruses, malware and spyware, works to keep your files intact, and sets up protection so it is less likely to happen again.
If there is a warning on screen right now
A message that fills the screen, will not close, and tells you to call a phone number is a tech-support scam. It is not a virus alert, and the number does not belong to Microsoft, Apple or your bank. More often than not it is simply a web page that has been made difficult to close.
The people who answer that number will ask to connect to your computer, and will then have exactly the access they are warning you about. If you have already called one, or already let someone connect, say so when you ring — it changes what needs checking, and nobody here is going to make you feel stupid about it.
Do this instead
- Do not call the number on the screen
- Do not let anyone connect to your computer
- Shut the computer down
- Contact a local professional you chose yourself
What this service includes
Deep scanning and removal
Viruses, trojans, rootkits, spyware and adware found and removed with several industry-standard tools rather than one.
Browser and system repair
Unwanted toolbars, hijacked search and redirects removed, and damaged system files repaired afterwards.
Protection afterwards
Antivirus installed or checked, and the handful of habits that actually prevent re-infection explained in plain terms.
Data preservation
The work is aimed at keeping your photos and documents, not at wiping the machine because that is quicker.
Accounts and passwords
If an infection or a scam call had access, the accounts reachable from that computer are part of the clean-up too.
Business clean-up
For an office, the questions are what else is on the network and what the infected machine could reach — not just that one computer.
Who this service is for
Computers behaving strangely. Slowness that came on suddenly, pop-ups, programs opening by themselves, or a ransom message.
Small businesses. Protection against data theft and phishing, and a sober look at what one infected workstation could have reached.
Anyone targeted by a scam. Fake warnings and tech-support scams are aimed at older users in particular. Being targeted is not a mistake you made.
Where we work
Augusta Technology is based in Augusta, Missouri. On-site work covers the communities listed here, the surrounding area and everything between them. Remote support is available across the United States.
- Washington
- Augusta
- Union
- New Haven
- Marthasville
- Dutzow
- Defiance
- New Melle
- Wentzville
- O’Fallon
- Lake St. Louis
- St. Peters
Frequently asked questions
My screen says I have a virus and I need to call a number. Should I?
No. That is a tech-support scam. Do not call the number and do not let anyone connect to your computer. Shut the computer down and contact a local professional you chose yourself.
Can you remove ransomware?
It depends on the strain. The infection itself can usually be removed, but files that have already been encrypted often cannot be recovered without a backup. Where backups exist, restoring from them is part of the job — and no honest answer here promises your files back.
How long does virus removal take?
Longer than a single scan. Deep scans take time to run, and the machine has to be used and watched afterwards to confirm it is actually stable. You will be given an estimate for your computer when you call.
I already let someone connect to my computer. What now?
Say so when you call. It changes the priorities: what they installed, what they could see, and which accounts and passwords need attention come first, ahead of cleaning up the machine itself.
Will I lose my photos and documents?
The work is done to avoid that. Wiping and reloading a computer is the fastest route and the last resort, not the first move, and you will be told before anything irreversible happens.
Related services
- Computer repairIf the machine is slow or failing for reasons that turn out to have nothing to do with malware.
- Remote supportIf the computer still works, a clean-up can often start in an attended session you agree to first.
- Business IT supportOngoing maintenance, account protection and backups that are checked rather than assumed.
- Managed ITThe whole-business version: security basics, backup and recovery, and someone watching.
Worried your computer is infected?
Stop using it for banking, email or anything else sensitive, and call. Describing what is on the screen is enough to start.