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The trojan horse virus is insidious malware disguised as something completely harmless to wreak havoc on your computer. They are usually delivered within legitimate software and used to spy and steal important information, either personal or company-wide.
To deal with this enemy, we have prepared this succinct post that will explain how this malware works, best practices to avoid it and how you can reinforce your cybersecurity so that the Trojan horse is not a threat to your business. Follow!
Understand what a trojan horse virus is
Trojan horse virus is a program, file or even code that looks like something beneficial with the main purpose of tricking victims into opening and installing it. With this, the malware will have complete freedom to spy or cause other types of damage to your computer.
It can even come in the form of emails with social engineering techniques in which it imitates common email attachments, one of the main tactics of cybercriminals for invasion. All you have to do is open the attachment and install it from the given link so that the malware has access to the system.
How to recognize your attack
Although sneaky, the Trojan horse virus leaves some clues on the computer that delimit the removal process. See the main signs:
- the computer becomes slower — the Trojan horse virus also installs other malware that consumes a good amount of resources on the machine;
- crashes and crashes — with overloading, more generalized failures begin to appear, such as the infamous blue screen;
- strange applications appear on the device — as discussed earlier, the trojan does not come alone. Therefore, if you notice strange programs that you didn’t install, that’s a strong indication;
- constant internet redirects — the Trojan horse virus also manipulates DNS settings and redirects to malicious websites that can collect information and install more malware;
- changed desktop — over time, new icons on the desktop appear without your permission, including even plugins in browsers are installed. Be aware of this point, as they are dangerous for stealing information such as credit card details;
- many pop-ups — another indication of the Trojan horse virus. be suspicious;
- antivirus is disabled — this malware does not want to be detected, so it will try to disable this program.
Main types of trojans
We separate which are the main models used by criminals to steal important information from your computer without your knowledge. See below:
- banking trojans: they infiltrate your devices with one goal: to steal credit card details and financial services logins;
- DDoS trojans: they can be remotely controlled by a hacker, popularly known as a “bot herder”. Thus, they will use the botnet to carry out denial of service (DDoS) attacks and leave websites and services offline;
- trojan downloader: it is a blended threat based on three attacks — it infects the device, downloads and installs the rootkit so that the hacker has full access to the device, even to add more malware;
- exploit trojan: uses software designed for device infection that takes advantage of a device vulnerability;
- Gaming Trojan: Mainly targets gamers to steal login information. Thus, cybercriminals can crack these high-level accounts and even steal valuable in-game items;
- fake antivirus trojan: this is one of the most dangerous types of malware, as it pretends to detect that there is a virus on your computer and then asks you to buy useless and highly malicious security software. Furthermore, when paying, the hacker holds the victim’s payment data;
- SMS Trojan Horse: That’s right, it can even infect your device via SMS. Cell phones, mainly Android can be infected and send expensive messages to premium hacking services or they can intercept incoming messages like a spy.
One of the most famous examples of the Trojan horse virus was Zeus, detected in 2007 in a data theft attack on the US Department of Transportation. This malware is used to steal financial information through two techniques: keylogging and form stealing.
Keylogging records keystrokes as you enter browser information, and form theft happens when Zeus intercepts your username and password when logging into a website. It was spread via phishing emails and automated downloads from infected websites to millions of computers.
Therefore, knowing how to prevent the Trojan horse virus is essential, after all, it remains active around the world infecting thousands of devices daily. So, check out tips to avoid this malware.
Best practices to avoid this problem
We separate useful tips that will get rid of a true “fair skirt” of the Trojan horse virus. Check out:
- only download software and apps from official sources;
- never open unknown email attachments or click on strange links;
- use an ad blocker;
- always be cautious with free software, as they can be bait made by hackers. Before downloading, always check user feedback;
- keep the antivirus always active.
Learn how to strengthen online security
In addition to these basic computer precautions mentioned above, investing in server security is essential to prevent cybercriminal attacks. Therefore, investing in secure hosting is the first step to preventing your website from becoming vulnerable.
After all, it helps to prevent loopholes and the Trojan horse virus from infecting your site, making it malicious. And, once this problem is detected, your credibility in the market will drop considerably. That way, if you need a boost, count on our specialized services.
We even offer unlimited e-mails, FTP and MySQL, in addition to an SSL certificate for greater digital security.
You have seen how the Trojan horse virus works and with simple measures it is possible to get rid of this malware on your computer. However, for your business website, always rely on security measures such as a reliable hosting service.
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