Information on the Trojan Horse virus
The Trojan Horse computer virus gets its name from for the mythical "Trojan Horse" employed by the ancient Greeks against the city of Troy. Known as "back door viruses," Trojans give an outside user access to your data. They hide in plain sight, pretending to be useful software.
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History
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Computer Trojans began appearing in 1989 with the "AIDS Information" Trojan that was attached to a software package mailed to attendees of a World Health Organization meeting. As Internet use increased, they progressed to a significant security threat. By 2008, the quality and quantity of malicious software and viruses had grown exponentially. Luckily for the average web user, a range of tools are continually updated and made available to help defend against the changing threats.
Definition
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The ancient Greeks built a giant wooden horse, hid soldiers in it and then presented it to the city of Troy as a gift. When the horse was inside the gates, the soldiers came out and attacked. Trojan viruses work the same way. Split into two parts, the Trojan contains a server and a client. The client hides in plain sight, disguised as software. They often live in peer-to-peer file-sharing networks and unauthorized download websites. After the Trojan gets on your computer, the person in control of the server controls much of your computer.
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Operation
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Trojan viruses make up five main groups: file servers (watchers) and remote administration (monitors), password stealers (hijackers) and key loggers (thieves), and denial of service. File server Trojans allow the hacker to upload or download files from a victim's computer by creating an FTP (file transfer protocol). Often, they hide in games that users send around the Internet. Remote administration Trojans steal communications information, or upload, download and run files on your computer. Password stealers do just what the name implies: they steal your passwords and then email them back to the attacker.
Watchers and Monitors
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Trojans and spyware mostly want the kinds of information from you that lets a monitoring site build your profile. Once a profile is built, they will use it to commercially exploit you. Basically, the Trojan collects information about which sites you visit, what kind of computer you have, what you buy and so on. Then, the user, or watcher running the server, uses your information to sell you things or direct you to commercial sites. They usually do not harm your computer, since they collect more information the longer they remain undetected.
Thieves and Hijackers
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Another type of Trojan poses a much greater threat. Hackers use key loggers and password stealers to get access to your system. Some just create a back door for hackers to get inside whenever they want. When intruders are detected, therefore, they should always be treated as having malicious intent. Key loggers record everything you type into the computer: documents, logins, emails, etc. Included in the key-logger type of Trojans are screenshot snappers that take pictures of your desktop while you work.
Denial of Service
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Denial of Service (DDoS) Trojan viruses attack multiple computers at once. Then, they link them together to create a botnet (robot network). The hacker uses all the computers to attack a specific site at once. This causes Internet gridlock, and forces sites to crash or become unavailable.
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References
- Photo Credit computer being attacked by bugs image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
