Have you heard of trojans? It’s a type of malware that’s characterized by its ability to sneak onto a victim’s computer or device. Trojans are highly destructive. They can cause serious damage to your business’s information technology (IT) infrastructure as well as reputation. Even if you know the general definition of a trojan, though, you might be surprised to learn the five following facts about them.
#1) Most Common Form of Malware
Malware comes in many different forms, but trojans are among the most common. One report found that 58% of all malware infections involved a trojan. As a result, trojans are more common than viruses, adware, ransomware and worms combined.
#2) Requires Execution
Trojans must be executed in order to carry out their malicious processes. They are essentially hidden in programs or applications. Downloading the malicious program or application won’t result in an infection. Rather, you’ll have to execute the malicious program or application for the trojan to carry out its malicious process.
#3) Don’t Spread
Many people assume that trojans are the same as viruses. Viruses, however, have the ability to self-replicate, whereas trojans do not. If a virus infects your computer, it will typically spread. Viruses replicate their malicious code while spreading to other parts of the infected computer and other devices connected to the same network. Trojans, on the other hand, don’t have the ability to self-replicate.
#4) Named After the Greek Trojan Horse
Trojans are named after the trojan horse in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, the Greek army used a wooden horse to covertly sneak into the city of Troy. The wooden horse, known as a trojan horse, was hollow in the center. Soldiers filled the inside of the horse, and once inside the city of Troy, they initiated their attack. Trojan malware has similar characteristics. It’s hidden within a program or application. Only after the program or application has been executed will a trojan carry outs its malicious process.
#5) Different Types
All trojans are nested inside of programs and applications, and they all require execution to carry out their malicious processes. Nonetheless, there are different types of trojans. Downloader trojans, for instance, are those that automatically download and install themselves. Ransom trojans, on the other hand, are similar to ransomware in the sense that they hold your computer’s files for ransom. Other types of trojans include backdoor, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and rootkit.
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