A Trojan is likely to be more difficult to deal with than a virus
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Viruses, worms, Trojan horses and related computer threats are commonly confused with each other because they often cause similar damage. Viruses have been around longer than the others, and consequently the term “virus” is commonly but inaccurately used to refer to all of them. Here are some distinguishing characteristics: Show Virus Trojan horse Worm Malicious script How they spread and what they do
What you can do about them
See more on how to protect your personal data. Go to Safe Computing at NC State. If you do not take measures to keep your computer safe, your computer -- and you -- could become the target of a cybercrime. Cybercrimes are those instances when criminals, known as hackers or attackers, access your computer for malicious reasons. You can fall victim any time you are on an unprotected computer, receive a deceptive email claiming there is an “urgent matter” regarding your ISCA account or just surfing the Web. They might be seeking sensitive, personal identification information stored on your computer, like credit card numbers or private account logins they use for financial gain or to access your online services for criminal purposes. Or they could want your computer’s resources, including your Internet connection, to increase their bandwidth for infecting other computers. This also allows them to hide their true location as they launch attacks. The more computers a criminal hides behind, the harder it becomes for law enforcement to figure out where the criminal is. If the criminal can’t be found, he can’t be stopped and prosecuted. There are many different threats to your computer’s safety, as well as many different ways a hacker could try to steal your data or infect your computer. Once on a computer, the threat will tend to show little to no symptoms so it can survive for a prolonged period undetected. Your online security and cybercrime prevention can be straightforward. In general, online criminals are trying to make their money as quickly and easily as possible. The more difficult you make their job, the more likely they are to leave you alone and move on to an easier target. We’ve compiled a list of the different types of threats that are out there along with some recommended steps you can take to reduce your susceptibility to these threats. Computer Threat #1: Vulnerabilities How they attack: Vulnerabilities are flaws in computer software that create weaknesses in your computer or network’s overall security. Vulnerabilities can also be created by improper computer or security configurations. Threats exploit the weaknesses of vulnerabilities, resulting in potential damage to the computer or its data. How do you know? Companies announce vulnerabilities as they are discovered and quickly work to fix them with software and security "patches." What to Do
Computer Threat #2: Spyware How it attacks: Spyware can be downloaded from Web sites, email messages, instant messages and direct file-sharing connections. Additionally, a user may unknowingly receive spyware by accepting an End User License Agreement from a software program. How do you know? Spyware frequently attempts to remain unnoticed, either by actively hiding or simply not making its presence on a system known to the user. What to Do
Computer Threat #3: Spam How it attacks: Email spam is the electronic version of junk mail. It involves sending unwanted messages, often unsolicited advertising, to a large number of recipients. Spam is a serious security concern, as it can be used to deliver email that could contain Trojan horses, viruses, worms, spyware and targeted attacks aimed at obtaining sensitive, personal identification information. How do you know? Messages that do not include your email address in the TO or CC fields are common forms of spam. Some spam can contain offensive language or links to Web sites with inappropriate content. Also, some spam may include hidden text that only becomes visible if you highlight the content -- a common trick spammers use to get their email to pass through spam filters without detection. What to Do
Computer Threat #4: Malware How it attacks: Malware is a category of malicious code that includes viruses, worms and Trojan horses. Destructive malware will use popular communication tools to spread, including worms sent through email and instant messages, Trojan horses dropped from Web sites and virus-infected files downloaded from peer-to-peer connections. Malware will also seek to exploit existing vulnerabilities on systems making their entry quiet and easy. How do you know? Malware works to remain unnoticed, either by actively hiding or by simply not making its presence on a system known to the user. You might notice your system is processing at a slower rate than what you are used to. What to Do
Computer Threat #5: Phishing How it attacks: Phishing is essentially an online con game, and phishers are nothing more than tech-savvy con artists and identity thieves. They use spam, malicious Web sites, email messages and instant messages to trick people into divulging sensitive information, such as bank and credit card information or access to personal accounts. How do you know? Here are four ways to identify phishing scams:
After you open and run an infected program or attachment, you might not notice the impacts to your computer right away. Here are a few indicators that might indicate your computer has been infected: Is a Trojan worse than a virus?Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. Trojans also open a backdoor entry to your computer, giving command to malicious actor or allowing malicious users/programs access to your system. This leads to confidential and personal information being stolen.
What is the main difference between a virus and a Trojan?1. A Virus is a malicious executable code attached to another executable file which can be harmless or can modify or delete data. Trojan Horse is a form of malware that capture some important information about a computer system or a computer network.
Are Trojans hard to get rid of?Trojan horses are some of the most frustrating viruses that you can get on your computer. Not only are they easy to pick up, they're not always easy to find. On top of that, Trojan horses are irritating to get off of the computer once they're there. However, they're not impossible to remove.
Are Trojan Viruses hard to find?While there are many types of Trojan horse malware, they're all designed to fool you into installing them. That's why Trojans can be so hard to detect — they look like legitimate software.
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