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Trojan Horse - Greek Myth or Computer Scare Story?
By John F | March 29, 2008
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You may have heard of the term Trojan or Trojan Horse [for this blog, I'll call it a Trojan]. You may wonder what exactly a Trojan is, and what does it do once it has invaded your computer?
Well, a Trojan is a nasty and destructive program that impersonates itself as a safe application. Unlike a virus, Trojan’s don’t replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive as a virus. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that offers to remove viruses from your computer, but in fact does the opposite and introduces viruses into your computer.
You may have been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to eradicate your computer of some nasty virus or spyware? The advertiser promises to quickly eliminate, or protect your computer from viruses if you simply download their free attached software onto your computer. You may be suspicious, but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. Bad move, as you potentially have downloaded a Trojan onto your computer.
Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious in their programming. Some of the less aggravating Trojans may select to change your desktop settings or add impractical desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can wipe out or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses and even spy on you.
Trojans can also sneakily report data like browsing habits to other users, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers [now that is scary!], phish for your bank account details [if you bank online] and even install a backdoor into your computer system, where they can access your computer, whilst you are using it, without your knowledge, so that they can come and go as they please.
To protect your computer against a Trojan, follow these guidelines.
1. Remain diligent, Trojans can infect your computer through dishonest websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.
2. Ensure that your operating system is up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is crucial.
3. Install dependable and strong anti-virus software. Ensure that you keep it updated frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. An anti-virus program that can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the Internet is a must.
4. A firewall is not going to get rid of your virus problems, but when used in combination with regular operating system updates and a good anti-virus program, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer.
5. Never execute any unknown e-mail file attachments. No discussion here, just don’t do it.
6. Never install pirated or questionable software. Nothing is free in life, and on the Internet. Pirated software will normally contain a Trojan.
7. Be very cautious of files downloaded through peer-to-peer (P2P) networking systems such as Limewire or Torrents. This is linked with point 6 above.
Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100%. However, you can continue to improve your computer’s security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.
Topics: Computer Security Usefulness |