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It comes to you as an email. All of a sudden, a lot of people want to share with you some Google Docs. Be careful. You might end up downloading the Google Docs virus. Some emails look credible. You don’t really think that they’re dangerous, most especially if they come from someone whom you know. With that mindset, the Google Docs virus ended up victimizing a lot of folks. All of a sudden, folks were getting Google Docs links in their emails.
Since they knew the person who sent the link, they ended up clicking on the link. Instead of being taken to Google Docs, they ended up giving some dubious apps access to their computer. Unfortunately, that was how the Google Docs virus started to thrive. It fooled a lot of computer users.
Take some time to read this article to learn more about this particular virus and how to prevent it. Make sure to read until the end to learn of comprehensive cleaning software that can keep your Mac safe.
Contents: Part 1. Can Google Docs Have Viruses?Part 2. Remove Google Docs Virus to Protect your MacPart 3. Scan and Clean Dubious Apps and Extensions on Your MacPart 4. Conclusion
Part 1. Can Google Docs Have Viruses?
Sometime in 2017, an attack on Google Docs happened. A ton of emails was sent with links to Google Docs. Since the links were coming from Google Docs, most of the folks didn’t think twice about clicking on them. Unfortunately, when they clicked on the links they were taken to a page where they were prompted to grant Google Docs to access their computer.
Since they thought that the links were coming from Google, they granted Google Docs permission to access their computer. Unfortunately, the link was not coming from Google. It was an email spoofing that was meant to look like it was coming from Google. A quick hover over the Permissions page showed a dubious email address in the Developer info.
An Intriguing Aspect of the Google Docs Virus
Rumor has it that the Google Docs virus was an experiment by a student from the United Kingdom. The student has written the code for a project. To this day, this rumor remains a rumor.
How Does It Operate?
In simple terms, Google Docs just pretended to be Google Docs. Obviously, it wasn’t Google Docs. It was meant to fool computer users to grant hackers access to their machines by making use of OAuth. With the OAuth, you can give permission to the app (disguised as Google Docs) and the app can prove that it has your permission even without you having to share some of your personal credentials. That allows the app to show a token to Google that you have allowed access to.
Part 2. Remove Google Docs Virus to Protect your Mac
There are some ways to protect your Mac from the Google Docs virus. Continue reading to learn more about them. You can protect your Mac from the Google Docs virus by removing it if you had accidentally clicked or opened the email. Follow the steps below to remove it.
Step 1. Go to Google.com
Sign in to your Google account. Then go to your profile on the top, right-hand side of the screen and click on My Account. On other Google interfaces, it’s going to read Manage your Google Account.
Step 2. Go to Sign-in & Security
Once you’re inside your account page, look for Sign-in & Security. Then click on the third link that says Connected apps and sites. Again, on other Google interfaces, you would have to click on Security on the left side of the screen.
Step 3. Remove Apps
Once you’re inside the Sign-in & Security window. Look for the link that says Manage Apps. If you had to click on Security on the left side of the screen, you would have to look for Third-party apps with account access on the main screen. Once you click on the Manage Apps link, you’re going to see various apps that have access to your account. Click on the app that looks dubious. If you see an app that’s named on Google Docs or Google Chrome, click on it the remove tab.
Tip: Read Carefully and Think Twice About Clicking
When it comes to safeguarding your Mac from viruses and malware you just have to read carefully and think twice about clicking any links. Consider the safety tips below.
- If you’re not expecting any kind of email from anyone you know, do not click on the link. You’re better off calling the person directly and asking him or her about it.
- Check if you were just blind copied on the email. if yes, don’t even bother with the email.
- Take some time to read carefully. Never allow any link to grant access to your computer. Even if the link looks credible, do not allow access. Read carefully and think twice
Part 3. Scan and Clean Dubious Apps and Extensions on Your Mac
Google has done a lot to stop the virus. However, it doesn’t mean that it can never happen again. Any hacker can still take advantage of the OAuth system to install an app on your Mac. You need to be careful with the apps and extensions on your Mac. the best way to be careful is with the use of the iMyMac PowerMyMac. This is a powerful tool that provides comprehensive cleaning of your Mac.
You can clean your Mac of the dubious apps and extensions without having to navigate to your Google account. With just a click on the App Uninstaller on PowerMyMac, you will be able to scan all the scans downloaded on your Mac. In just a few seconds, you can clean out the ones that are dubious. You can also scan for dubious extensions by clicking on Extensions.
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Part 4. Conclusion
If you were spared from the Google Docs virus, then good for you. However, that does not mean that you are forever spared because you’re not. There a lot of computer viruses out. They can infect your Mac through apps and extensions. Be careful. Use a cleaning program like the iMyMac PowerMyMac to protect your Mac from dubious apps and extensions.
Has your Mac ever been infected? How did you go about it? Share your thoughts with us. We would love to hear them.
