A trojan is a cunning program that performs a different function from what it promotes itself to be. Trojans usually spread through free software illegally downloaded music, videos, and adware.
Trojans get their name from the original story of Troy and the Trojan horse. In this story, Troy’s enemies get inside the city using a horse disguised as a gift. Soldiers hide inside the horse, and once they get inside the city, they climb out and let more soldiers into the city, leading to its downfall.
What Is A Trojan Virus?
A trojan virus enters the victim’s computer through a legitimate program. It mainly spreads through social engineering, where threat actors conceal malicious code in legitimate software to access users’ systems.
Like in the original Troy story, a trojan virus hides in a genuine file or email sent to a user’s device. After a victim downloads the program, the trojan executes its malicious functions, including spying and creating backdoor access to corporate systems.
Types Of Trojan Viruses
Trojan viruses come in many types. Below are the most common ones:
- Backdoor Trojans – A backdoor trojan allows a hacker to control your device using a backdoor. The hacker uses a command & control center to communicate with the device and control it, steal data, or distribute other malicious software.
- DDoS Trojans – A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) trojan turns the victim’s device into a botnet to deploy DDoS attacks. The attacks target large corporations to take websites and services offline.
- Banker Trojans – A banker trojan seeks to steal banking account data and financial information. Its goal is to steal credit and debit card numbers and hack e-commerce and online payment systems.
- Exploit Trojan –An exploit trojan exploits vulnerabilities within an application or computer to cause harm.
- Rootkit Trojan – The primary purpose of a rootkit trojan is to prevent the detection of malicious software to ensure it remains on the system for the longest time possible.
How to Detect A Trojan Virus
There are several tell-tale signs of a trojan virus on your device. Below are the signs to look out for:
- Your mobile device or computer suddenly starts running slowly and crashing frequently
- Unauthorized processes executing on your device
- Frequent pop-up ads interrupting your browsing experience
These signs often show that malware is in your system. To be certain, search your computer or mobile device for unfamiliar programs and applications. You can then search the names of the suspicious files or programs on a search engine to determine whether they are trojans.
You can also use antivirus software to scan for any trojan and automatically remove it from your device.
Protecting Against Trojans
To protect your device against trojans, install a reliable and trustworthy antivirus program with frequent scans and timely alerts.
To lower the risk of an infection, consider doing the following:
- Do not download or install software from unknown sources
- Do not open email attachments or run programs from unknown senders
- Conduct regular updates and install patches at the soonest possible time
- Install a reliable Trojan antivirus
In Conclusion
A trojan virus is stealthy in operation by disguising itself as a legitimate program. However, safe internet habits will lower the risk of falling victim to malware. Most importantly, an antivirus program is a must-have as it detects malware and removes it before it causes any damage.
