What is a Trojan And How to Protect Against It?
The tale of the Trojan war is a source of fascination over the centuries. The product of the tactical groundwork in this ancient battle, the Trojan horse, emerges as a destructive cyber threat in today’s interconnected world. Trojans warrant attention even from the earliest identified form (PC-Write) in 1986, up until now.
Trojan horse program is a malware typically downloaded from the Internet and installed by unsuspecting users. Trojan comes in different forms, a gaming app, a stylish camera app or a legitimate banking app. It also disguises as a software component or can mimic a seemingly authentic ad from an entity that you trust.
Trojans does not directly inflict damage, but typically carry payloads or other malicious actions that can range from mildly annoying to irreparably destructive. They may modify system settings to automatically start, jeopardize computer integrity, rake profit from collected data of individuals, or take over your computer and render it useless. Restoring affected systems may require procedures other than scanning with an antivirus program, specially the persistent ones that infects more devices.
An example of a Trojan horse that resurfaced very recently is Emotet. It is a banking malware that attempts to infect computers and steal personal information. This malware mostly spreads thru emails with infected attachments and embedded malicious links. Emotet has the capability to infect other connected computers. Moreover, it collects the victim’s contact list and sends itself to the email addresses in the contact list.
Observe, and be vigilant!
Now that you have an idea of what a Trojan is, you must be aware of the signs of a Trojan infection.
Some of the common indicators that your computer is affected by a Trojan includes:
- Slow and unresponsive computer
- High memory or disk utilization
- Strange pop-ups
- Unfamiliar processes, apps and plugins
- Being redirected to malicious websites
- Receiving unsolicited or spam email messages
If you notice any of these symptoms, I suggest that you consult with cybersecurity threat experts and find out if a Trojan is hiding on your computer.
For users connected to the Internet, try HouseCall – the Trend Micro online threat scanner to check for malware that may already be on your computer. It is a complimentary service available for anyone to use. HouseCall performs a scan to detect and fix viruses, worms, spyware and other malicious threats on your computer. You can choose from three scan options; Quick Scan – a quick check on areas where malicious software (malware) is most likely to be found, Full System Scan – a thorough check on all files and folders in your computer for viruses and spyware, and Custom Scan – allows you to select which files and folders you want to scan. A summary of threats found on your computer and the actions taken against detected malware is displayed upon scan completion.
Guard the gates
Antivirus program should be one of your defenses against online dangers. Installing an antivirus program should protect you from malware at the first sign of its existence, and even before it executes on your system. If you don’t have an antivirus installed yet, check out Trend Micro Antivirus solutions. They offer an essential protection for your computer and defend your system from Trojans and .
Keeping your operating system up-to-date will also help improve your device’s security. It is highly recommended that you check for the latest update to patch known vulnerabilities on your system.
Act now! We hope our tips for combating Trojans are helpful to you.
