An explanation of Trojan horse

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In this video, TechTarget editor Michaela Goss talks about the dangers of the Trojan horse virus and how to protect your business from it.

From Troy to your computer, beware the Trojan horse.

The term Trojan horse originates from Greek mythology, when -- in an attempt to infiltrate Troy -- Greek warriors hid inside a wooden horse disguised as a gift. A Trojan horse computer attack works in the same way -- an attacker sends innocent-looking emails that actually contain malware.

Here, we'll explain how to detect and prevent Trojan horse attacks.

Trojan horses are most commonly spread through email spamming. When a user clicks on an infected email attachment or download, malware is transferred to the device, enabling attackers to seize control. Once activated, Trojans can do the following:

  • Give an attacker backdoor control over the device.
  • Record keyboard strokes to steal sensitive user data.
  • Activate a device's camera and recording capabilities.
  • Turn the computer into a zombie computer to carry out fraud or illegal actions.
  • Or even be used by law enforcement to capture information relevant to a criminal investigation.

It's difficult for even advanced malware scanners to find and destroy Trojan horses, but they're typically accompanied by unusual behaviors like excessive popups, loss of keyboard and mouse control and unexpected changes in the computer's desktop, resolution, color and orientation.

As they say, prevention is the best medicine. The easiest way to prevent Trojans in the first place is by simply deleting emails and attachments from unknown senders. Other best practices include the following:

  • Investing in a security suite that includes both antivirus and antimalware software.
  • Updating operating systems as soon as possible.
  • Using unique and complicated passwords.
  • Using firewalls to protect personal information.
  • Avoiding all suspicious and unsafe websites.

Overall, you can never be too careful. Understanding the subtle signs of Trojan horses and their potential consequences is the first step in creating a secure digital environment.

Tommy Everson is an assistant editor for video content at TechTarget. He assists in content creation for TechTarget's YouTube channel and TikTok page.