Trojan horses first appeared as non-malicious software back in the mids and have gone through numerous stages of development since. In the late eighties, the first-ever type of ransomware was the so-called AIDS Trojan distributed on floppy discs. During the early s, Trojans have evolved to allow their creators to take full control of the infected computer using the remote administration technology. Nowadays, Trojan horses are distributed the same way as most other types of malware.
While viruses can self-execute and self-replicate, Trojans cannot do that. Instead, the user has to execute a Trojan themselves by launching the program or installation that the Trojan is bundled with. There are many types of Trojan horses in circulation, some of them more harmful than the others. Thankfully, most of them are routinely detected and removed by the best antivirus software. According to various statistics, Trojans account for anywhere between 25 and 80 percent of all malware infections around the world.
Some of the most common types of Trojan horses include the following:. As the name suggests, these types of Trojan horses have a backdoor of sorts, a secret passage through which hackers can access your computer and take control of it. In most cases, hackers use backdoor Trojans to build botnets, large networks of remote-controlled computers that they can recruit to carry out cyber attacks against other computers, networks, websites, and online services.
These botnet backdoor Trojans are usually very sophisticated, which allows them to avoid detection even by some of the most popular cybersecurity solutions. Namely, these Trojan horses are programmed to download a variety of files and programs to your hard drive.
To do this, a hacker only needs to release an update of their Trojan downloader, which prompts it to download the malware in question on all infected computers. Distributed Denial-of-Service DDoS Trojans are types of malware designed to carry out attacks against computer networks. They are usually downloaded and installed on numerous computers at once via spam mail campaigns, turning those machines into parts of a botnet.
These Trojans have a backdoor component, which allows hackers to activate their botnet army to perform coordinated attacks. Once activated, these computers will start generating unusual amounts of traffic to websites, servers, or networks that the hacker is targeting. The ultimate goal is to drain the computational resources of these websites and networks and take them offline so that users and visitors cannot access them. With the growing popularity of online banking services, banking Trojans have become more common than ever.
It will send multiple requests from a computer or a group of computers to overwhelm a target web address and cause a denial of service. Downloader Trojan : A downloader Trojan targets a computer that has already been infected by malware, then downloads and installs more malicious programs to it. This could be additional Trojans or other types of malware like adware. Exploit Trojan : An exploit malware program contains code or data that takes advantage of specific vulnerabilities within an application or computer system.
The cyber criminal will target users through a method like a phishing attack, then use the code in the program to exploit a known vulnerability.
Fake antivirus Trojan : A fake antivirus Trojan simulates the actions of legitimate antivirus software. The Trojan is designed to detect and remove threats like a regular antivirus program, then extort money from users for removing threats that may be nonexistent. Game-thief Trojan : A game-thief Trojan is specifically designed to steal user account information from people playing online games. Infostealer Trojan : This malware can either be used to install Trojans or prevent the user from detecting the existence of a malicious program.
The components of infostealer Trojans can make it difficult for antivirus systems to discover them in scans. Mailfinder Trojan : A mailfinder Trojan aims to harvest and steal email addresses that have been stored on a computer. The attacker will then hold the user or organization ransom until they pay a ransom fee to undo the device damage or unlock the affected data. The cyber criminal maintains access to the device through a remote network connection, which they use to steal information or spy on a user.
Its purpose is to stop malicious programs from being detected, which enables malware to remain active on an infected computer for a longer period. This includes logging their keyboard actions, taking screenshots, accessing the applications they use, and tracking login data. Victims were compromised by trojanized versions of a legitimate SolarWinds digitally signed file named: SolarWinds. The trojanized file is a backdoor. Once on a target machine, it remains dormant for a two-week period and will then retrieve commands that allow it to transfer, execute, perform reconnaissance, reboot and halt system services.
Communication occurs over http to predetermined URI's. How To Recognize a Trojan Virus. Examples of Trojan Horse Virus Attacks. Well-known examples of Trojans include: Rakhni Trojan: The Rakhni Trojan delivers ransomware or a cryptojacker tool—which enables an attacker to use a device to mine cryptocurrency—to infect devices.
It was discovered when it infected at least 20 U. Zeus or Zbot: Zeus is a toolkit that targets financial services and enables hackers to build their own Trojan malware. The source code uses techniques like form grabbing and keystroke logging to steal user credentials and financial details. How Fortinet Can Help. Quick Links. Trojan malware attacks can inflict a lot of damage. At the same time, Trojans continue to evolve.
Here are three examples. They can also impact your mobile devices, including cell phones and tablets. In general, a Trojan comes attached to what looks like a legitimate program.
In reality, it is a fake version of the app, loaded up with malware. Cybercriminals will usually place them on unofficial and pirate app markets for unsuspecting users to download.
In addition, these apps can also steal information from your device, and generate revenue by sending premium SMS texts. One form of Trojan malware has targeted Android devices specifically.
The result? Cybercriminals could redirect traffic on the Wi-Fi-connected devices and use it to commit various crimes. Trojans take their name from the hollow wooden horse that the Greeks hid inside of during the Trojan War. The Trojans, thinking the horse was a gift, opened their walled city to accept it, allowing the Greeks to come out of hiding at night to attack the sleeping Trojans. All rights reserved.
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Security Center Malware What is a Trojan? Is it a virus or is it malware? July 24, Join today. Cancel anytime. Start Free Trial.
How do Trojans work? When you execute the program, the malware can spread to other files and damage your computer.
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