Hacked.. Trojan horse?

Have you ever wondered what is a Trojan horse?

In ancient times, the Trojan horse is a story from the Trojan War about the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the independent city of Troy and win the war… but in today’s times, Trojan horse has a slightly different meaning and in this article, we would be briefly describing what is a Trojan horse(in the computing world) and how to prevent it!

So? In the computing world.. what exactly is a Trojan horse?

A “Trojan Horse” has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place(in this case.. it is your computer). A malicious computer program which tricks users into willingly running it, which in turns misleads users of its true intent! . In fact, many people do not even know that their computers might already have such a malware inside!

Victims usually recieve an email (from an unknown person) containing a attachment which contains the Trojan horse. Once the victim opens/executes the attachment (disguised to be unsuspicious, for eg, a routine form to be filled in, or by clicking on some fake advertisement on social media or anywhere else ) within the email, the Trojan horse would enter the “secure” computer system and infect it.

There are many forms of payload that the Trojan horse can carry with it, though modern times, it usually acts as a backdoor. Which then contacts a controller which can then have unauthorized access to the affected computer. Trojans may allow an attacker to access users’ personal information such as banking information, passwords, or personal identity. It can infect other devices connected to the network. Ransomware attacks are often carried out using a Trojan.

However, unlike computer viruses and worms, Trojans generally do not attempt to inject themselves into other files or otherwise propagate themselves.. though there are exceptions …

How to prevent Trojan horse?

1. Since Trojan horse requires the user to open an attachment such that the Trojan horse can enter the computer system.. the best way to prevent a Trojan horse is not to open an email attachment or run a program when you aren’t 100 percent certain of the source

2. Always make sure that your software is up to date. Hackers exploit known security holes in these types of programs that can help the Trojan do its work To keep your Internet connection as secure as possible, always keep a firewall up. Both help control malicious Internet traffic, and can often stop Trojans from downloading to your computer in the first place.

3. You could also install an antivirus software or Trojan remover. This software, when kept up to date, will scan your system to make sure you haven’t downloaded a Trojan, and will automatically scan any program or file you execute to ensure its safety. Though be careful.. some free Trojan remover softwares online may even be Trojans themselves! :cold_sweat:

In conclusion, Trojan horse is a type of malware and that one just has to take the few and simple steps above and a Trojan horse can be prevented and all of your data and privacy would be saved!

Extra links!

Trojan horse_wikipedia Avoiding a Trojan Virus: Keeping the Gates Closed Trojan horse-intro

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