From Greek Mythology to Computer Technology, the Trojan Horse still Wreaks Havoc

Most of us remember the legend of the Trojan horse in Greek mythology, the handcrafted and hollowed-out horse that housed hundreds of soldiers. As the people of Troy slept, the soldiers climbed out of the horse, invaded the city of Troy, and took control of it, leaving a path of damage, death, and destruction in its wake. In computer and internet technology, a Trojan horse, or Trojan virus as it is more commonly called, works in similar fashion to the inanimate mythological horse.

It all Starts with an Innocent Looking E-mail

Trojan viruses start out in similar fashion to the mythological Trojan horse – as a bonus or gift. You get a friendly, nondescript yet somewhat inviting looking e-mail that contains an interestingly intriguing phrase on the subject line. If you open the e-mail, there will usually be download link to click on or an embedded link that re-directs you to some other website. And just like when the Trojan horse was opened, once you click on the download or the embedded link, the invasion (of your computer) begins.

What Happens to Your Computer?

As the virus begins working in your computer, it starts unloading additional applications and programs that transforms your PC from an OS to a server and sends your information to the creator of the virus or the “client” as they are known. Those programs are capable of:

• attaching itself to e-mail lists that you have stored in your computer
• corrupting other computer programs
• spreading other viruses
• stealing bank account or other personal information
• stealing hard drive data

Once it has performed the above, the stolen “bounty” is given directly to the client. The most amazing part of all is the fact that you don’t even know it is happening.

Preventing a Trojan Invasion

You can stop a number of Trojans by using a firewall. Unfortunately, there is no firewall on the market today that will stop 100% of the ones that can infect your hard drive. The best option is to download a program that scans files and registries as well as provides you with system updates once they become available. Always be wary of e-mails offering “FREE” stuff. You should also remember that hackers and Trojan designers are extremely creative and continually improving how destructive their viruses are. Installing a constantly updating scan will enable you to step a few steps ahead of these individuals.

Learn More About Trojan for your online business at the MySiteGotHacked.com.au website.

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