WHAT ARE TROJAN HORSE VIRUSES AND HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THEM?
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Loading...For many people, malware seems to have many weird names, like worms or ransomware. And what are trojan horse viruses? To start, trojan horse viruses are a type of malicious software designed to disguise itself as a legitimate application to get into the computer, then it works silently in the background to hide its malicious activities.
The term trojan horse originated from the Trojan War story. A wooden horse filled with murderous Greeks led to the destruction of the Troy Kingdom.
In computing, a trojan horse works in much the same way. It pretends to be a useful application to lure in victims. Once installed, a trojan horse is harmful in many ways, which is why it’s important that you know what are trojan horse viruses.
WHAT DO TROJAN HORSE VIRUSES DO?
Once you become aware of what are trojan horse viruses and what can they do to your computer, you can learn to avoid them.
Creates Backdoor Access
A Trojan horse creates backdoor access that allows a hacker to take control of the computer. It alters the security setting of the device to gain administrator privileges and create a backdoor without being exposed. Backdoor access allows the hacker to copy, delete, and modify critical data on the computer. That’s what are trojan horse viruses and what are they capable of.
Steals Personal Information
A trojan horse can also steal personal information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers. It monitors your computer activity silently in the background to record sensitive information, then transmits the information to the hacker via a remote server.
Installs Malicious Software
When learning what are trojan horse viruses, you must remember that their main goal is to install malicious software. It is often bundled with spyware, ransomware, rootkits, and keyloggers. It can perfectly conceal the malicious software behind its deceptively innocent appearance.
DDoS Attacks
A trojan horse can also be used to conduct a DDoS attack. It can flood networks, web servers, and IT infrastructures with unwanted traffic, resulting in downtime. The attack may last from a day to a month, depending on the severity of the damage and incident response of the company. This is big reason they are so dangerous and learning what are trojan horse viruses is important.
Conceals Malicious Activities
A trojan horse can be programmed to load and execute directly from computer memory, enabling it to modify critical data. Then it protects the malicious activities of the other malware on the computer. A trojan horse operating from computer memory is difficult to detect because its script is invisible in the file system.
Now that we know what are trojan horse viruses and what are they capable of, it is important to keep your computer protected to avoid data theft. How can you prevent a trojan horse attack?
WAYS TO PREVENT TROJAN HORSE VIRUSES
Verify URLs
A trojan horse can be installed through a malicious link that redirects users to malware-infected websites. To prevent a trojan horse hiding behind a fake URL, scan the URL first with a website scanner online. You can use a third-party scanner such as Xcitium Website Inspector to verify the reputation of the website.
Delete Suspicious Emails
Hackers can attach a trojan horse to malicious emails and send them to random computers. Unless the computer user knows what are trojan horse viruses and how to prevent them, their device will get infected with a trojan horse when they open the email. An advanced form of a trojan horse will gain direct access to computer memory without the user having to download an attachment.
Avoid Visiting Illicit Websites
Malware like a trojan horse is often found on illicit websites. They have malicious advertisement pop-ups designed to install malware when the user closes them out.
Avoid Downloading Cracked Software
The problem with cracked software is that it may come with a virus. Most cracked versions of software are embedded with data-stealing malware such as trojan horses, spyware, and ransomware. One way to prevent a trojan horse infection is to only download applications from verified publishers. Today, hackers can easily spread fake software on the internet.
Install Anti Malware Software
Anti malware software is the best tool to protect your computer from a trojan horse attack, whether you know what are trojan horse viruses or not. Designed to prevent varieties of malware and cyber attacks, anti malware software can identify a trojan horse and other types of malware in no time. It combines traditional and modern techniques to detect and block malware quickly. With anti malware software installed on your computer, your valuable files and personal information are safe from malware attacks.
Conclusion
Now that we have a better understanding of what are trojan horse viruses capable of and how to prevent them, never leave your computer vulnerable. If you want to keep your files and information safe, install a reputable anti malware software on your computer.