A Trojan Horse Virus is malicious software that sneaks into a device by masquerading as a useful utility. Often, an attacker will employ social engineering to conceal dangerous code within seemingly innocuous software in order to obtain access to a user’s machine.
Trojans are a form of malware that can infiltrate a user’s device by disguising themselves as an innocuous-looking attachment in an email or a free-to-download file. Once downloaded, the malicious code will carry out the action the attacker intended, such as stealing data, spying on users, or gaining access to internal networks.
Unusual behavior, like sudden changes to system settings, can be a sign that a Trojan is currently running on a device.
The Trojan Horse: Its History
The Aeneid by Virgil and the Odyssey by Homer is where the legend of the Trojan horse first appeared. The story’s antagonists used a horse they said was a gift to sneak within the city gates and destroy Troy. The soldiers took cover inside the massive wooden horse and then emerged to let their comrades inside.
The phrase “Trojan horse” is aptly named for these cyber attacks due to a key plot point:
The Trojan horse was an ingenious way to bypass the enemy stronghold’s defenses. The city had been under siege for a decade in the original version of the story, but the assailants had failed to take it. They finally gained entry after 10 years thanks to the Trojan horse. In a similar vein, a Trojan virus can be an effective means of bypassing security measures.
- The Trojan horse may have easily passed for a sincere present. A Trojan virus, in a similar vein, mimics the appearance of safe programs.
- The city’s defenses were managed by the men in the Trojan horse. If your computer has been infected with a Trojan virus, it may be left open to further “invaders.”
What Role Do Trojans Play?
A Trojan horse, in contrast to a computer virus, requires a user to actively download the server-side application before it may manifest. In order for the Trojan to infiltrate a device’s system, the executable file must be run and the program must be installed.
Emails with malicious attachments, disguised to look like they came from a reputable source, are known as “spam,” and are sent to as many individuals as possible. After the Trojan server is downloaded and installed when the malicious email is opened, it will launch whenever the infected device is turned on.
When infected with Trojan malware, a computer has the ability to infect other machines. A computer is turned into a zombie by a hacker, giving them complete control over it without the user’s knowledge. After that, the hacker can utilize the zombie PC as part of a botnet to spread malware to other machines.
A user might, for instance, get an email from a trusted contact that appears to include a safe attachment. However, the attachment is malicious and will run and install the Trojan on their device if they open it. The infected machine may appear to be functioning properly to the user, who may be unaware of the infection.
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