Good afternoon friends. I recently wrote an article "". In this article, we will take a closer look at one of these viruses, namely the Trojan virus.
The computer age is developing very rapidly, various technologies are being developed to make life easier for people. We increasingly make payments not in cash, but with a plastic card or using an electronic wallet. Of course, such wallets and cards have their own PIN codes and passwords.
And just imagine a situation: you go to a supermarket, shop there for a decent amount, go to the cashier to pay, insert your plastic card, but there are no funds on it. What's the matter? And the culprit is a Trojan virus!
So what are Trojan viruses, what are they? In short, I can say that a Trojan virus is a malicious program that prefers to masquerade as any existing program. You download such a program, and your computer becomes infected. Quite often, Trojan viruses consist of only a few lines.
How did the name Trojan virus come about?
I think you know that the Trojan virus is named after the famous horse from Homer’s famous poem “Troy”. Where the Greeks, in order to take this magnificent city, showed cunning and created a gigantic horse made of wood. This horse housed a detachment of Greeks led by Odysseus.
In the morning, the Trojans got up, saw a horse of enormous size, decided that the goddess had given it to them, and with great difficulty dragged it into their city. Thus, signing the verdict for the city. At night, the Athenians got out of their horses, killed the guards and opened the gates. Thus, the fate of the city was sealed.
How Trojan viruses are introduced onto a computer
The situation is similar with the Trojan virus. They only get to your PC when you add them yourself. That is, they cannot carry out a DOSS attack on your computer or website, where the antivirus will have to actively resist. As I already mentioned, they pretend to be various programs, maybe even an antivirus. And what’s most interesting is that such programs can even behave like the originals, and will perform their direct functions until at a certain time they manifest their viral essence.
You download such an antivirus, from this antivirus a landing party of various pests is landed, and the computer falls into the power of the Trojan.
Trojan viruses have one distinctive feature, or rather they have several features, but more on that later. So, they cannot move around without permission, as, for example, computer worms and other similar programs do.
You can enter them via a flash drive, laser disk, or simply by downloading your favorite picture from the Internet. It could even be a postcard from your girlfriend, a gift from the Internet, or something else.
How do Trojan viruses harm?
Once on the PC, the virus begins to act so actively. For example, it can block the system or disable the antivirus. Then it will be quite difficult to fight him. Also, Trojan viruses can track your actions, I mean, track what buttons you pressed.
This way they can track your passwords and pass them on to third parties. These persons, as I mentioned above, can help attackers withdraw your money from a plastic card or electronic wallet.
This pest often launches the browser to a page on the Internet where an adware virus is hosted. This virus will very persistently impose on you certain goods that you do not need.
Among other things, Trojans download and upload to your PC various files and utilities that embed themselves into systems. They also copy your email addresses and then send spam on your behalf.
They disrupt other programs. They can distribute pornography quite intrusively, and in your name. Also, a Trojan virus can erase information that is very important to you, or even block your bank account number.
Among other things, these viruses can expose valuable and intimate information to you for public viewing. For example, a personal photo or intimate video, as well as your account and credit card numbers.
In other words, the actions of Trojans are extensive and varied. I will tell you in detail how to protect your computer from such a misfortune and remove Trojan viruses in the next article, stay tuned.
Friends, in addition to this article, I decided to write a separate FREE 3D book “How to quickly remove a computer virus?”, which talks about removing not only Trojans, but also other various malware and how to protect your computer from such infection. You can learn more about the book by clicking on the image:
On the Internet today you can find many pitfalls in the form of viruses. You can't count them all. All threats can be classified according to the method of penetration into the system, methods of removal and the harm caused. One of the most dangerous viruses today is a Trojan.
Today we will try to figure out what this threat is. Ultimately, we will try to figure out how you can safely remove such crap from your computer and mobile device.
What is a Trojan?
Trojan viruses are self-replicating malicious objects with executable codes that can be embedded in other applications. They pose a fairly serious threat to any computer and mobile system. Android and Windows systems are most affected. Until recently, it was believed that viruses of this type did not affect UNIX operating systems. However, just a few weeks ago an attack was carried out on Apple mobile devices. It is believed that Trojans pose the greatest threat. We will now try to find out what such a virus is.
By analogy with historical events
It is no coincidence that the Trojans got their name by analogy with some historical events. Before we figure out how to remove Trojan viruses from a computer system, let’s turn to the immortal work “The Iliad” by Homer. It is here that it is described how the rebellious Troy was taken. It was impossible to penetrate the city in the usual way or take it by storm, so it was decided to give a giant horse with warriors inside as a sign of reconciliation. Having entered the city, they opened the gates. After this Troy fell. Trojan viruses work on the same principle. The saddest thing is that such viruses do not spread spontaneously, but purposefully.
How a threat can enter a system
The most common method used to penetrate a mobile and computer system is to disguise itself as some kind of program that is attractive to the user. Sometimes there is a situation where a virus embeds its own codes into existing applications. As a rule, these are user programs or system services. Malicious codes can also penetrate networks and computers in the form of graphics or HTML documents. They can be distributed in incoming attachments or copied from removable storage media. Moreover, if the code is built into a standard program, then it can still partially perform its functions. The virus itself will be activated when the corresponding service or application is launched. The worst situation is when the service loads automatically and starts with the system.
Trojans: consequences
If we talk about the impact of a Trojan, this type of virus often causes system crashes and disruption of Internet access. But this is far from the main goal of the Trojan program. The main task of the Trojan is to steal confidential information for the purpose of using it by third parties. Confidential information includes logins and passwords for accessing certain Internet resources, state registration data, and bank card PIN codes. In general, all that information that is not subject to disclosure. When such information is stolen, it is impossible to predict how it will be used. As a result, you may lose all the money from your bank account, or some bank will call you and tell you that you have a huge loan debt.
Removing a virus in the Windows operating system.
Let's move on to the most important question: how can you remove the Trojan? In fact, this is not as easy to do as many users think. In some cases, of course, it is possible to find and neutralize the body of the virus. But it is worth remembering that he is capable of creating his own copies, and not just one or two. Finding and deleting them can be a real headache for the user. Neither a firewall nor a standard anti-virus program will help if a virus was missed and infiltrated into the system.
In this case, it is recommended to remove the Trojan using portable antivirus programs. If RAM is captured, the Trojan will have to be removed using special programs that are loaded before starting the operating system from a USB device or optical disk. Among portable applications, applications like Dr. can be especially highlighted. Web Cure It or Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. The Kaspersky Rescue Disc utility has the maximum range of functions among disk programs. Of course, its use is not a dogma. Today you can find any amount of such software.
How to remove a Trojan from Android
As for devices running on the Android system, things are not so simple. Portable applications have not yet been created for them. Alternatively, you can try connecting the device directly to the PC and scanning the internal and external memory with a computer utility. But in this case, there is no guarantee that the virus will not penetrate the computer when connected. In such a situation, the problem with removing the Trojan can be solved by installing the appropriate software. There is so much here that you are simply at a loss as to what is best to choose. Most experts in the field of information security are inclined to believe that the best application in this area is 360 Security. It is capable of not only identifying threats of almost all known types, but also providing comprehensive protection for the mobile device in the future. Of course, it will constantly hang in RAM, thereby creating a load. But safety is still much more important.
What else should you pay attention to?
We have almost figured out what Trojans are. I would like to separately draw the attention of users of all systems, without exception, to several more important points. Before opening an attachment that came with an email, check it with an antivirus program. When installing programs, carefully read the proposals for installing additional components such as browser panels or add-ons. The virus may be hidden in them.
It is also better to refrain from visiting dubious sites, especially if your antivirus program issues a warning. It is also better not to use simple free antivirus programs. It’s better to install the same Eset Smart Security and activate it every 30 days using free keys. Also try to store passwords, bank card numbers, PIN codes and other confidential information on removable media in encrypted form. This is the only way to be at least partially sure that it is not being used for malicious purposes.
Instructions
Today, a Trojan horse is called a malicious one that penetrates a computer, masquerading as harmless and even useful programs. The user of such a program does not even suspect that its code contains hostile functions. When the program is launched, it is introduced into the computer system and begins to create all the outrages for which it was created by attackers. The consequences of infection with Trojans can be very different - from unnerving, but completely harmless freezes, to the transfer of your data to scammers and causing you serious material damage. The difference between a Trojan is that a Trojan is not capable of self-copying, which means that each of them was introduced into the system by the user himself. Antiviruses can track Trojan horses, but special programs do a much better job of this.
Moreover, almost all antivirus manufacturers offer free utilities for catching Trojans on their websites. Eset NOD, Dr. Web, Kaspersky - any of these manufacturers can offer the latest version of the program that can catch your uninvited guests. It is very important to use the latest utilities, because the army of Trojans is replenished every day with new, more cunning representatives, and a program from the day before yesterday may simply not recognize them. Sometimes it makes sense to download several programs and run the system through them. In addition to utilities produced by antivirus companies, you can also find anti-Trojans on the Internet from lesser-known manufacturers, but no less effective in searching. For example AntiSpyWare, Ad-Aware, SpyBot and many others. If independent attempts to treat your computer do not bring the desired result, then it is better to take the computer to a specialist who can apply more serious measures.
But, as you know, the best treatment is prevention. As mentioned above, Trojans do not materialize out of nowhere; users themselves download them to their computer. This can happen when downloading unknown files, following dubious links, or opening files with unknown content in mail. Hacked programs are especially dangerous in terms of potential infection. The core of such a program will be 99% infected with a Trojan virus; alas, there is no free cheese. Therefore, vigilance and caution - these two qualities will be more reliable than any antivirus. A good antivirus, with new databases, and regular checking of your computer with special programs will close the last gap through which a Trojan horse could sneak into you.
One of the biggest troubles for an Internet user is a “Trojan horse” - a virus that is spread on the network by attackers. And although antivirus software developers are constantly modifying their programs to make them more reliable, the problem still remains, because hackers are not sitting still either.
After reading this article, you will learn how to protect your computer from penetration by a Trojan, and also learn how to remove this virus if it does end up on your device.
What is a Trojan horse?
The name of this virus is taken from a legend that says that the Greeks made a wooden horse with wars hidden inside.
This structure was then taken to the gates of Troy (hence the name), supposedly as a sign of reconciliation. At night, Greek soldiers opened the gates of the enemy city and inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy.
A computer virus works in a similar way. A Trojan horse is often disguised by attackers as a regular program, which, when downloaded, introduces malware onto your computer.
This virus differs from others in that it does not reproduce spontaneously, but gets to you as a result of a hacker attack. In most cases, you download a Trojan onto your device without knowing it.
A Trojan horse is a virus that can cause a lot of trouble to the user. Read on to find out what the consequences may be.
Signs of infection
If your computer was attacked by a Trojan, you can find out about it by the following changes in your computer:
- Firstly, the device will start rebooting without your command.
- Secondly, when a Trojan horse penetrates a computer, the performance of the device is significantly reduced.
- Thirdly, spam is sent from your email inbox.
- Fourthly, unknown windows open with pornography or advertising of a product.
- Fifthly, the operating system does not start, and if the download is successful, a window appears asking you to transfer money to the specified account to unlock the system.
In addition to all the above problems, there is another one - the loss of money from an electronic wallet or confidential information. If you notice that this has happened to you, then after removing the Trojan, you need to immediately change all passwords.
Trojan horse (virus). How to remove it from your computer?
Of course, the penetration of a Trojan horse can cause significant harm to the user (for example, financially), but since this is a fairly common type of virus, you can get rid of it using any popular antivirus (Kaspersky, Avast, Avira etc.).
If you suspect that your computer is being attacked by a Trojan, boot the device in Safe Mode and scan the system with an antivirus program. Quarantine any detected malware or remove it immediately. After that, open the “Programs and Features” section and get rid of suspicious applications that you did not install.
Sometimes the antivirus program is blocked by a Trojan horse. This virus is constantly being modernized, so situations like this happen. In this case, you can use one of the special utilities, for example SuperAntiSpyware or Spyware Terminator. In general, find a program that suits you, and then use it to remove the Trojan.
Conclusion
So now you know what a Trojan horse is. You can remove the virus discussed in this article yourself if it gets onto your computer.
Of course, it is better that such trouble does not happen to you, but for this you need to install a good antivirus program, regularly update its database, carefully monitor program warnings, and also not visit or download anything from suspicious resources.
Before unpacking any downloaded archive, be sure to scan it with an antivirus. Also check the flash drives - there should be no hidden files on them. Remember: a Trojan can cause a lot of problems, so take all measures to identify it responsibly.
The modern virtual world, with its daily increasing volume of information exchange and electronic payments, has long been favored by criminals. One of the ways cybercriminals make money is by distributing Trojan programs. We’ll talk about what it is and how hackers earn millions in profits with the help of Trojans in this article.
So, a Trojan is a small program disguised as harmless software. This disguise allows it to enter the computer without hindrance from the user or antivirus program for the malicious actions for which it was created. The name “Trojan program” (Trojan, Trojan, Trojan virus) comes from the legendary “Trojan horse”, with the help of which Odysseus’s wars got inside Troy.
A Trojan can contain both viruses and worms, but unlike them, it does not spread on its own; there is a person behind it. Of course, it is very rare for a hacker to download a Trojan onto your computer himself. More often than not, it encourages users to download malware onto their computer. How does this happen? The cybercriminal uploads a Trojan program to visited sites, file hosting services and other resources. From there, for various reasons, users download the Trojan onto their computer, infecting it.
Another way to “put a Trojan horse” on your computer is to read spam mailings. Typically, a PC user automatically clicks on attached files in emails. Double click and the Trojan program is installed on your computer.
There are several types of Trojan programs:
Trojan-PSW (Password-Stealing-Ware)– a type of Trojan program that steals passwords and sends them to the virus distributor. The code of such a Trojan contains an e-mail address to which the program sends passwords, credit card numbers, telephone numbers and other information read from the computer. In addition, another target of Trojan-PSW is codes for online games and registration codes for licensed programs.
Trojan-Clicker– a type of Trojan program that performs unauthorized redirection of users to an Internet resource desired by a cybercriminal. This is done to achieve one of three goals: a DDoS attack on a selected server, increasing visitors to a given site, or attracting new victims for infection with viruses, worms or other Trojans.
Trojan-Downloader And Trojan-Dropper– malware with a similar effect. Trojan-Downloader, as the name suggests, downloads infected programs to the PC, and Trojan-Dropper installs them.
Trojan-Proxy– Trojan proxy servers. These programs are used by attackers to secretly send spam.
Trojan-Spy- spyware. The purpose of such Trojan programs is to spy on a PC user. The Trojan takes screenshots of the screen, remembers information entered from the keyboard, etc. These programs are used to obtain data about electronic payments and other financial transactions.
ArcBomb– archives that interfere with the correct operation of the computer. They fill the hard drive with large amounts of duplicate data or empty files, causing the system to freeze. Hackers use ArcBomb to slow down or stop mail servers.
Rootkit– program code that allows you to hide the presence of a Trojan program in the system. Rootkit without a Trojan is harmless, but together with it it carries a significant danger.
Trojan Notifier– a Trojan program that sends a notification to the creator about a successful attack on the user’s computer.
Cybercriminals unite several computers infected with Trojans into botnets - networks of computers controlled by hackers. Such botnets are a great danger to users. With their help, cybercriminals send spam, steal passwords to bank accounts, and carry out DDoS attacks. Now imagine that one of the computers united in a botnet is yours. Moreover, you will not know anything about this until one “fine” day the police from the cybercrime department knock on your door. Then prove that it was not you who DDoS or the server that was attacked, but a hacker who had access to your system using a Trojan.
In order to minimize (namely, minimize, cannot be avoided) the consequences of infection of your home computer, install a licensed anti-virus program that will update its databases. The creators of anti-virus programs are always several steps behind hackers, so databases should be updated as often as possible. If your computer has become infected with a virus, then it needs computer help. We advise you to contact the best service in the city of Kemerovo.
The development of malware requires resources no less, or even several times more, than the development of software needed for operation. Trojans are a simple and, most importantly, cheap method used by hackers to remotely control your software. The fight against Trojan programs must reach a new level, otherwise the creators of antivirus programs will not be able to cope with the growing force of cybercrime on their own.