Different Kinds of Trojan Horse Viruses
Trojans are malicious programs that secretly install on your computer pretending to be legitimate programs. They come in many varieties and with different purposes. Once they have been executed, they can severely damage a computer's functioning process or steal personal information. Because of their discreet operations, they are dangerous and should be removed before they damage your compute system.
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Destructive Trojans
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As the name suggests, destructive trojans are designed to destroy your computer system. They secretly install on your computer through infected emails and files downloaded from malicious websites (warez and torrent sites, for example) and work their way to system folders and the registry. Once they have installed, they delete setup files and folders used by programs. As a result programs begin to freeze or crash. They also alter components in the registry and delete vital system files which eventually cause your computer to run into frequent errors (blue screen of death) or crash completely.
Remote Access Trojans
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Remote access trojans are a group of dangerous trojans whose main purpose is control. Hackers secretly install them on a computer to give them access to the infected system. Once they have been installed, a hacker uses a remote computer to not only monitor your computer activity, but also adjust settings in the task manager, startup functions and system components. Remote access trojans are usually installed through infected game and program downloads. They also have the ability to open backdoor ports to install additional malicious files.
Data Sending Trojans
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Data sending trojans are extremely dangerous especially in this day and age when identity theft has become a serious concern. Unlike other trojans, their main agenda is to steal personal information such as credit card numbers, log files, passwords and email addresses. Once they have infected your computer, they install keyloggers which record keystrokes every time you type in passwords and credit card information on the Internet. The gathered information is sent to the host server where they are deciphered to figure out passwords and credit card information. Like other trojans, they secretly install on your computer and are dangerous if they are not dealt with.
Proxy Trojans
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Proxy trojans are somewhat similar to remote access trojans because they give an attacker control of your computer. The only difference is that proxy trojans allow an attacker to perform malicious activity on other computers and make it appear that you (the computer owner) were responsible for the attacks. For example, an attacker can use a proxy trojan to install malicious files on another person's computer or network without it being traced back to him because he makes it look like your computer did it. This makes them extremely dangerous because they can be used to frame you for activities you did not perform.
Solution
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Run frequent virus scans to remove malicious trojan files. Consider a free Antivirus program such as AVG Free (see Resources) if you do not have an Antivirus program. Always clear browser history and cache to prevent personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Download, install and run a free anti-malware program such as Malwarebytes' Anti-malware (see Resources) to detect and remove trojan files (rogue antispyware programs, for example) that infiltrate the registry and system folders. Do not download files from malicious sites that secretly bundle trojans with downloads.
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