Signs My Device May Have Been Hacked

Recognize common warning signs of malware or account compromise and learn how to investigate them safely.

Common Warning Signs of Compromise

Unexpected pop‑ups, sudden performance slowdowns, unexplained data usage, or programs opening and closing by themselves can all hint at malware or remote control. Likewise, logins from unfamiliar locations, password reset emails you did not request, or messages sent from your account without your knowledge suggest account compromise.

None of these signs prove hacking on their own, but clusters of unusual behavior should prompt a deeper investigation before more damage occurs.

Checking Running Processes and Network Connections

On desktop systems, built‑in tools let you inspect which applications are consuming resources and making network connections. Suspicious entries do not automatically mean malware, but they are good starting points for further research.

Use the following commands to list active connections and processes, then search unfamiliar names online or consult trusted security forums before taking action.

Command examples
Windows — Inspect processes and connections on Windows

Run these from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window. 

tasklist                               # List running processes
netstat -ano | findstr ESTABLISHED     # Active TCP connections
wmic process get name,executablepath   # Show process paths (older versions)
macOS — Inspect processes and connections on macOS

Use Terminal to gather quick diagnostics. 

ps aux | head                          # Sample of running processes
lsof -iTCP -sTCP:ESTABLISHED           # Established TCP connections
netstat -an | head                     # Summary of network sockets