What does a Trojan horse mean? Trojan program: how to protect yourself and remove it. Amavaldo banking trojan uses screenshots to steal information

A Trojan virus or simply a “Trojan” is correctly called a Trojan program. A Trojan is a type of malicious software designed to degrade a computer's performance until it completely fails. Sometimes Trojan horses are also called Trojan horses. The name “Trojan” is associated with ancient warriors who previously lived in the country of ancient Troy and have been extinct for three centuries. However, the inhabitants themselves were called Teucrians. They could quickly and powerfully strike their opponents with their swords. Many have heard the name “Trojan horse”. If you believe the legends, this is not a living horse under the command of the Teucrians, but a specially built huge horse during the time of the great Trojan warrior.

The very name of the Trojan virus comes from this very Trojan horse– their methods of attack are almost identical. The legends say that it was because of the Trojan horse that Troy fell. As mentioned above, the Trojan program uses the same goals - first it penetrates the computer and then tries to disable it, legally transfer information to another person, disrupt the computer's performance, or use computer resources for bad purposes.

What types of Trojans are there?

There are many names. Trojan. Malware, Trojan. Winlock, Pinch, TDL – 4. Strictly speaking, Trojan are not viruses themselves, but a family of them, which already includes the viruses themselves. But TDL-4 is already a program.

The goal of TDL-4 is to defeat a computer, after which another user can control the infected computer using the Internet. The similarity of the action is reminiscent of the Team Viewer program, but unlike TDL - 4, this program is completely legal and the user can see on the monitor what he is doing in at the moment another user. In addition, if necessary, the connection can be interrupted.

Pinch is a very, very dangerous virus. It works in three stages. First, he goes to the computer and downloads the files he needs for work. The size of the virus does not exceed 25 KB. Next, Pinch collects absolutely all the information about the user’s computer - where the files are stored, what the user’s video card, sound card and processor power are. It also collects information about installed browsers, antiviruses, a list of installed programs and data about the user’s FTP client. All this happens unnoticed. After collecting information, Pinch itself is packed into an archive and attached to it with the first letter. During the transmission of the letter, Pinch is separated, heading towards the hacker's computer. Afterwards, the hacker can decrypt the information using the Parser program and subsequently use this information for his own purposes.

In addition to Trojans and worms, there are several other classifications of malicious software (software), for example rootkits. Their goal is to seize administrator rights on the user’s computer and then use them for their own purposes.

How to get rid of Trojans?

In the same way as for all viruses, scan your computer for viruses. However, not every antivirus sees absolutely all viruses. Sometimes, in order for the antivirus not to find the “antivirus”, it is enough just to change its name and standard location on the hard drive. Therefore, smart developers came up with antiviruses specially created for a certain type of virus. Antiviruses can detect and deal with many worms on a computer, but are completely useless against rootkits and vice versa.

The leading fighters against Trojans and other malware are: Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Dr.Web, Eset(Nod32). Paid versions of which can be purchased.

Hello admin! I worked without an antivirus for two weeks, I didn’t surf the Internet much during this time, but today I installed an antivirus and it found three Trojan programs during scanning! Could they have done something in such a short period of time on my operating system?

Trojan programs: educational program

A separate type of malware is named Trojan because of a comparison with the Trojan horse, which, according to ancient Greek mythology, was given to the inhabitants of Troy by the Greeks. Greek soldiers were hiding inside the Trojan horse. At night they came out of hiding, killed the Trojan guards and opened the city gates to the rest of the military force.

What is the essence of Trojan programs?

A Trojan program, also known as a Trojan, also known as a Trojan, is a type of malware that differs from classic viruses that independently penetrate a computer, multiply there and multiply by participating in the activation process of a human user. Trojan programs, as a rule, are not able to spread themselves, as viruses or network worms do. Trojans can masquerade as various types files – for installers, documents, multimedia files. The user, by launching the file under which the Trojan disguises itself, launches the Trojan itself. Trojan programs can be registered in the system registry and activated during Windows startup. Trojans are sometimes virus modules.

How can you pick up a Trojan program?

Installers of programs or games are often equipped with Trojans, and then they are posted on low-quality file sharing services, Varez sites and other less-than-ideal software portals for mass downloading by Internet users. You can also pick up a Trojan program by mail, online messengers, social networks and other sites.

Friends, now I will show you how you can download a real Trojan. For example, you decided to download it for yourself, typed the appropriate request in your browser and got to this site, naturally click Download

And instead of Windows, we are blatantly given to download a Trojan, the download of which is interrupted by my anti-virus program. Be careful.

The scenario for introducing Trojans can be different. These are requests to download some additional software - codecs, flash players, browsers, various updates for web applications, naturally, not from their official websites. For example, while surfing the Internet, you may come across such a warning, which again hides a Trojan program. Please note that there is even a spelling error on the banner.

These are links from unknown users that you are actively persuaded to follow. However, an “infected” link on a social network, Skype, ICQ or other messenger can be sent by a familiar user, although he himself will not even suspect it, since the Trojan will do it instead of him. You can catch a Trojan by succumbing to any other tricks of its distributor, whose goal is to force you to download a malicious file from the Internet and run it on your computer.

This is what a live Trojan might look like, I just caught it yesterday on a friend’s computer, maybe the friend thought that he had downloaded the free antivirus Norton Antivirus 2014. If you run this “antivirus”, then

Windows desktop will be locked!

Signs of a Trojan on your computer

Various signs may indicate that a Trojan has penetrated your computer. For example, the computer itself reboots, turns off, launches some programs or system services on its own, and opens and closes the CD-ROM console on its own. The browser itself can load web pages that you have not even visited before. In most cases, these are various porn sites or gaming portals. Spontaneous downloading of porn - videos or pictures - is also a sign that a Trojan is already at work on the computer. Spontaneous screen flashes, and sometimes also accompanied by clicks, as happens when taking screenshots, are a clear sign that you have become a victim of a spyware Trojan. The presence of Trojan software in the system can also be indicated by new, previously unknown to you, applications in startup.

But Trojan programs do not always work, impersonating themselves, and their signs are not always obvious. In such cases, users of low-power computer devices much easier than for owners of performance cars. If a Trojan penetrates, the first ones will be able to observe a sharp decline in performance. This is usually 100% CPU, RAM or disk utilization, but no user programs are active. And in the Windows Task Manager, almost all computer resources will be used by an unknown process.

For what purposes are Trojan programs created?

Theft of user data

Numbers of wallets, bank cards and accounts, logins, passwords, PIN codes and other confidential data of people - all this is of particular commercial interest to the creators of Trojan programs. That is why Internet payment systems and online banking systems try to secure the virtual money of their clients by introducing various security mechanisms. As a rule, such mechanisms are implemented by entering additional codes that are sent via SMS to a mobile phone.

Trojans do not only hunt for data from financial systems. The object of theft may be login data for various Internet user accounts. These are accounts of social networks, dating sites, Skype, ICQ, as well as other Internet platforms and instant messengers. Having taken over a user's account using a Trojan, scammers can use it against his friends and subscribers. various schemes fishing for money - asking for money, offering various services or products. And, for example, scammers can turn the account of some pretty girl into a point of sale of porn materials or redirect them to the necessary porn sites.

To steal people's confidential data, scammers usually create special Trojan software - spyware, also known as Spyware.

Spam

Trojans can be created specifically to collect email addresses of Internet users and then send them spam.

Downloading files and boosting website indicators

File sharing services are far from the most profitable type of income if you do everything honestly. A low-quality website is also not the best best way win the user audience. To increase the number of downloaded files in the first case and the traffic indicator in the second, you can introduce a Trojan into users’ computers, which, without knowing it, will help scammers improve their financial well-being. Trojan programs will open the desired link or website in the users’ browser.

Stealthy computer control

Not only boosting website indicators or downloading necessary files from file hosting services, but even hacker attacks on company servers and government agencies are carried out using Trojans, which are installers of backdoors. The latter are special programs created for remote control of a computer, naturally, secretly, so that the user does not guess anything and does not sound the alarm.

Data destruction

A particularly dangerous type of Trojan can lead to the destruction of data. And not only. The barbarity of some Trojan programs can result in damage to the hardware components of your computer or network equipment. DDoS attacks - disabling computer equipment - are carried out by hackers, usually to order. For example, to destroy data from competing companies or government agencies. Less commonly, DDoS attacks are an expression of political protest, blackmail or extortion. Novice hackers can practice carrying out DDoS attacks without any particular intent or global purpose in order to become experienced geniuses of evil in the future.

Trojan ( Trojan virus or Trojan horse) is a type of malware that masquerades as legitimate software. It is often used by cybercriminals to steal personal data, track users, and gain unauthorized access to systems. If you've paid any attention to computer and Internet security in the last ten years, you've undoubtedly come across the term "Trojan horse." You probably know that you should not expect anything good from these malicious programs, but you may not know what they can do to your computer, how they get into it and how to prevent it. By understanding what a Trojan is and what problems it can cause for you, you can avoid encountering these dangerous malware samples.

What is a Trojan virus?

The term is somewhat imprecise, but it is commonly used in place of the more correct term "Trojan". The virus infects ordinary computer files - it hijacks a single file and destroys or maliciously modifies it in the process. It will then try to spread to other computers, infecting other files.
Unlike viruses, Trojans are programs; they do not need to manipulate another file to do their dirty work. In addition, they are incapable of self-reproduction. But don’t be fooled: the consequences of Trojans’ actions can be as destructive as any computer virus.

How does a Trojan (Trojan virus) work?

Just like the story of the Trojan horse from ancient Greek mythology, the Trojan malware appears in the “image” of what you want. It is often disguised as free software or an investment in email, and then once you give it permission to install on your computer, it opens the floodgates.

Once a Trojan has access to your computer, it can do whatever it wants, but most of these malware aim to gain complete control over your computer. In other words, all your actions on the computer are recorded and sent to the server specified by the Trojan. This is especially dangerous if you perform financial transactions on your computer, since the Trojan program sends information about your bank card or payment details to people who may use or sell it. With the help of Trojans, attackers can turn your computer into a zombie and use it to launch cyber attacks around the world.

How to protect yourself from Trojans

Trojans are so named because they require your permission to run on your computer - either when you run a program yourself, or when you open a document or image, which then launches a program. Based on this, the first and best protection against Trojans - never open an email attachment or run a program unless you are 100% sure of the source of the files downloaded from peer-to-peer programs or websites. But in today's interconnected world, this is rarely possible, so there are a few specific security measures that need to be taken.

Always update your software. This goes doubly true for important programs like yours. operating system and browser. in these types of programs, and through them Trojans are sent to your computer, which do their dirty work. The software vendor will usually release patches for these vulnerabilities, but they won't do you any good unless you maintain them. latest version software on your device. To keep your Internet connection as secure as possible, your firewall should always be turned on. Both software and hardware firewalls do an excellent job of filtering out malicious traffic and can often prevent Trojans from being downloaded onto your computer.

All this is useful, but to completely protect yourself, you should install antivirus software or a Trojan removal utility. This software (provided it is updated regularly) scans your system for Trojans and automatically checks any program or file you run to ensure its safety. There are free Trojan removal utilities available on the Internet, but few are regularly updated, and some are even Trojans themselves. To better protect your computer, use reputable antivirus software with a free trial. This will allow you to evaluate the benefits of a particular program before purchasing it. Such programs are often included in a general security package, but at the same time they give you the opportunity to specify the protection functions you need and disable those you don’t need.

Protecting your computer from Trojans doesn't have to be an overwhelming task. By following a few simple rules for safe online behavior and using a reliable security solution, you can be sure that your computer is protected from the vast majority of Trojans and other malware.

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 the 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 and phone numbers read from the computer. credit cards, telephone numbers and other information. 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 prevent proper operation 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 the hackers, so the 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 remote control your software. The fight against Trojans must reach new level, otherwise the creators of antiviruses will not be able to cope with the growing force of cybercrime on their own.

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 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 checkout 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 while certain time will not reveal its 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: