A trojan horse, also sometimes called a trojan virus, is a type of malware. A number of malware attacks on businesses have been linked to trojans, which come off as harmless or legit downloads or files. The user is tricked into downloading and running the file/program, and that creates a window for cybercriminals to cause a security breach. The good news is proactive cybersecurity measures can prevent trojan horse attacks. Here’s more on things that businesses need to know about trojans.
How do trojans work?
Trojans, like mentioned, are designed to look like a legitimate product, usually like an app, software, or download. Unlike other types of malware, trojans cannot work without being run. In other words, someone has to install and run a trojan file. There are different types of trojans used by hackers. A trojan dropper, for instance, is used for launching other types of malware. There are trojans that are designed to attack banking applications, while some trojans are used exclusively for spying on user activities. Trojans are also used extensively for ransomware attacks, where the hacker encrypts data and asks the business to pay a ransom, promising a decryption key in return. Trojans can be also used for DDoS attacks and backdoor attacks.
Steps to prevent trojan attacks
- Make sure that your employees are aware of trojans and how this kind of malware works. Like we mentioned, trojans cannot work independently – someone has to initiate action. With trained employees, you don’t have to worry about a trojan file being downloaded.
- Ensure that all software, firmware, and operating systems are updated. Updates and patches are made available from time to time, which can fix existing vulnerabilities. Ensure that browsers and plug-ins are updated too.
- Use a good antimalware suite. There are many business-purpose antimalware suites, which work extensively well for preventing trojan attacks. These products can update the user about suspicious files and remove malware from a system. ‘
- Keep an eye on emails. A lot of trojans come from email downloads and links. Make sure that no one in the organization downloads or runs a file that is not trusted or verified.
- Backup everything that’s possible. All data and information should be backed up on a regular basis, so that systems can be restored, if a security breach occurs.
Also, do make sure that you have an incident response plan in place to handle any sort of trojan attacks in the future.