A Trojan Horse is a malicious program that masquerades as a benign, regular application. Trojans trick users into downloading seemingly harmless applications injected with dangerous code that breaches the system and destroys data, much like its namesake, the Greek horse that destroyed Troy. Trojans are notorious programs that lie dormant, without the user any the wiser, until triggered by certain events like a specific date or a browser visit to certain websites like banking sites. Trojan programs carry spyware to remotely activate device cameras, execute specific functions or even delete themselves once the perpetrator’s objectives are met.

Trojans are sometimes used by law enforcement agencies to spy on certain users and detect criminal activities. A few well-known Trojans include Bitfrost – A Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that can infect windows and create new entries or alter the registry, Magic Lantern – A keylogger created by the FBI to conduct surveillance on criminal activities, FakeAV Trojan- displays system error messages and directs users to take certain actions to fix the errors leaving them vulnerable to other attacks, Tiny Banker -or ‘Tinba’, a Trojan that steals financial information from banks, and Emotet Trojan – that steals financial and personal information.

As with other forms of cyberattack, effective antivirus software is the front-line protection against Trojans. AttackSolutions antivirus software runs quick, frequent scans to ensure that user systems are clear of Trojan infections and alerts users if any trojans are detected. Our antivirus protects against all known trojans while our database is regularly updated to include new and potential trojan threats. Other tools we use to detect trojan horses are Malware Fox, Spybot, SuperAntiSpyware and Emsisoft Emergency Kit. Even with powerful antivirus software, users must exercise caution to prevent Trojan attacks by avoiding malicious or harmful sites.