A Trojan is a type of malicious code or software that looks legit but can take control of your computer. It is designed to damage, steal, disrupt or inflict harmful action on your data or network. But where did it get its name from? Trojans got their name from the hollow wooden horse that the Greeks hide inside of during the Trojan War. Thinking the horse was a gift the Greeks allowed it into their walls letting the Trojans attack them at night while the Greeks slept.
So now you're wondering how you could even get a Trojan. Well it could be as simple as you've received an email from someone you know and click on it, the file you clicked on has now downloaded and installed malware on your device. You execute the program causing the malware to spread to other files and damage your computer.
Over time Trojans have developed and changed depending on what they wish to achieve. See below some of the most common types of Trojan malware:
- A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack Trojan performs DDoS attacks. The aim is to take down a network by flooding it with traffic, this traffic comes from your infected computer and others.
- A ransom Trojan wants a ransom to undo damage it has done to your computer.
- A downloader Trojan targets an already infected computer by downloading and installing new versions of malicious programs.
- A game thief Trojan tries to steal account information aimed at online gamers.
- A infostealer Trojan is after data on your infected computer.
- A SMS Trojan infects your mobile device then sends and intercepts text messages.
- A backdoor Trojan can create a “backdoor” on your computer letting an attacker access your computer and control it, your data can then be downloaded by third parties and stolen.
- A fake AV Trojan acts like antivirus software demanding money from you to detect and remove threats even if they're not real.
- A mailfinder Trojan aims to steal the email addresses you have on your device.
- A remote access Trojan gives an attacker full control over your computer from a remote network connection.
- A Trojan banker is designed to steal your account information for things you do online.
- A rootkit Trojan aims to extend the time a malicious program runs on your device by hiding or obscuring the object on your infected computer.
Now after reading this you may be thinking but what can I do to prevent this from happening. See below some dos and don'ts to help protect against Trojan malware.
- Don't visit unsafe websites.
- Update your operating system’s software as soon as updates are made available from the software company.
- Don't open a link in an email unless you know exactly what it is.
- Create a unique password for each account using a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Keep your personal information safe with firewalls.
- Back up your files regularly so if you are compromised you can restore your data.
- Don't open a link in an email unless you’re confident it comes from a legit source.
- Be careful with email attachments and don't click on suspicious email attachments.
- Don't click on pop-up windows.
If you think this may be something occuring on your device feel free to give us a call to discuss your situation. We are always happy to help. :)