What Is a Trojan? How to Avoid Being Infected

Many people mistake a Trojan for a virus. In fact they are not the same, from how they operate to how they spread. So what is a Trojan?Is it as harmful as a virus? How do you protect your computer from a Trojan? The article below answers these questions in plain terms.

What is a Trojan?

A Trojan, also known as a Trojan horse, is malicious code or software disguised as legitimate software. It is made to damage, destroy or steal, or to do other harm to a user's data or network.

Unlike a virus, a Trojan cannot replicate itself by infecting other files or computers. It survives by staying unnoticed, sitting quietly on your computer to collect information, open security holes or, worse, take over your machine.

What causes Trojan infections

According to users whose computers have been infected, Trojans come from:

• Links or files attached to emails
• Exploited applications, specifically holes in web browsers, apps and messaging software. These holes mostly exist because users do not regularly install the vendors' application patches.
• Downloading software from file hosting websites or file-sharing networks that carry many viruses and malware such as Trojans.

However, a Trojan does not only attack directly. It can also do harm indirectly, depending on the weaknesses of the device you use.

Characteristics of a Trojan

This kind of malware has the following characteristics:

• It can create a program that hides inside a useful one and appears to meet the user's needs and wishes.
• A Trojan's program performs unwanted actions, and it hides them to avoid detection by the user.
• Many Trojans contain spyware that lets others control your device remotely over the network.
• It is used to trick users into doing things they have not agreed to.
• Today, Trojans are also being given the ability to spread themselves. This makes them increasingly like viruses and hard to tell apart.

How a Trojan works

Instead of attacking through the front door (which a computer's firewall often detects), hackers trick users by inserting a Trojan into other software. Once the malware is active, it spreads and can do untold damage if it is not stopped in time.

These are some forms of Trojan found on the Internet today:

• Remote Access Trojans: take full remote control of the computer system for malicious purposes.
• Data-Sending Trojans: send all personal information back to whoever uses the Trojan.
• Destructive Trojans: destroy the system within a short time.
• Denial of Service (DoS), DDoS Attack Trojans: used in DDoS attacks.
• Proxy Trojans: used to turn the user's computer into a proxy server.
• HTTP Trojans, FTP Trojans: the Trojan creates its own HTTP or FTP server to help the attacker exploit vulnerabilities.
• Security Software Disable Trojans: can switch off all of a server's security features when it is attacked.

The most common types of Trojan today

Depending on the purpose, Trojans fall into several types, such as:

Trojan Backdoor

Malware that gives hackers access to a legitimate user's system without their knowledge. Hackers can do everything the user can do, read data, delete files or forward confidential documents once the user has been tricked into installing a backdoor Trojan.

Trojan Rootkit

Malware that can hide various activities in the system so it is not detected. A rootkit's main purpose is to extend its life on the user's system so hackers can use it for longer.

Downloader Trojan

A special type of Trojan that can download other Trojans. It can also upgrade malware and help malicious code attack everything on your device.

Trojan Banker

A Trojan that steals a user's banking details to take over their bank accounts. Account numbers, CVV numbers, debit card and credit card details are all things a Banker Trojan targets.

Signs of a Trojan infection

Your computer may be infected with a Trojan if you see these signs:

• The CD-ROM drive opens and closes by itself
• Strange things appear on the screen.
• The wallpaper of Windows on the desktop changes
• The computer prints documents by itself and changes fonts and other related details.
• You cannot change the computer's wallpaper
• The left and right mouse buttons malfunction
• The mouse pointer does not appear on the main screen
• The Start button does not appear on the main screen
• Unfamiliar chat windows pop up on their own.

How to avoid Trojan attacks

The best way to keep a Trojan off your machine is never to open any unknown file, link, software or email from an address you do not know. A Trojan spreads when you click directly on content that contains spyware. To be safe, check files by running a virus scan on Windows 10 or with VirusTotal.

You can also take any of these steps:

• Always use antivirus software or and a firewall to protect your computer as well as possible.
• Keep your Windows machine fully updated with the latest patches
• Do not visit unfamiliar or unsafe websites
• Do not open links in emails unless you are sure they come from a legitimate source.
• Avoid downloading or installing programs you do not fully trust from the manufacturer.
• Never open a link unless you know exactly whether it is safe.

That is everything we have to share about what is a Trojan? and the harm it causes. We hope this article helps you protect your computer and devices from malware. Good luck.

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