Part 3 – The Trojan Horse

The Trojan Horse

In the computer world, a Trojan Horse is a file that is disguised to look like one thing, but is actually something completely different. Thus the name. The Trojan Horse is probably the single largest threat facing the internet as these programs can be made to do a myriad of different tasks. In the 2nd quarter of 2008, almost 60% of all computer infestations were caused by a Trojan Horse. Normally a Trojan Horse will disguise itself as a joke, or a picture in a malicious email and when opened, it loads.

Now Trojan Horses differ from viruses and worms as they cannot propogate on their own. They need to be opened in order to load onto a computer.

So what do they do? Well it all depends on what they were designed for. Some will just sit in the backround and load other malware onto your computer. This in itself is bad enough, however many Trojan Horses have a much more sinister ploy. Some will install other programs onto your computer so that your computer can be controlled remotely. Others can destroy files and data upon opening. Still others will record keystrokes (keyloggers), exposing all of your important and personal information thus threatening you to identity theft. Trojan Horses are used frequently by Cyber-Criminal Organizations for just this purpose.

So how do I get a Trojan Horse? Well, there are many different ways. Like I said earlier, some hide in a malicious email as a joke or a picture, thus enticing the user to open it. Others can download from websites who employ them using vulnerabilities in your web browser (Firefox, IE, Opera, Safari, Chrome, etc). This is the reason to make sure that your browsers are running the current, updated versions. Some Open Source websites are notorious for loading malware. Even though it is tedious, you should check out the Terms and Conditions of these software, as many will tell you about the installation of malware, thus protecting them from any criminal prosecution. Torrents and File Sharing Sites are another venue to get a Trojan Horse. When loading a file from a torrent site, you have know idea where the file is actually coming from.

The Trojan Horse is a serious threat on the internet today. Caution and common sense are your best weapons against these malicious programs. ID theft, including the theft of banking and credit information are the major risks which accompanies the Trojan. However, data loss, and spyware/adware is nothing to sneeze at either.

Here are a few simple ways to help protect yourself from getting a Trojan Horse…

(1) Make sure your browser software is updated and that you have the latest version.

(2) Make sure your Anti-Virus software is updated and running.

(3) Always make sure your firewall is turned on.

(4) Make sure you do not connect your computer directly to the web. Always put a router between you and the internet. A router is a “dumb” computer and will not allow things unless you have requested or allowed them. Thus minimizing the threat of a “drive-by” download.

(5) Scan regularly using anti-spyware software.

I will be listing a bunch of good scanning software titles in an upcoming chapter, so stay tuned.

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