What is a Trojan Horse?
So what exactly is a trojan horse? A giant wooden horse made to fill with warriors who are set to jump out once they have breached the walls of an enemies city! No, not that kind of trojan horse.
A trojan horse is simply a computer program that claims to do one thing, but instead does damage when you execute it. These programs can come in any form. It could be a video game, an anti virus program, or even just a photo. They are set up to initiate once you have double clicked them. Trojans can only cause harm if you have executed them. They have no way to replicate themselves automatically.
Some people will exclaim that they have gotten a trojan horse from someone! But the reality is that if you have a trojan on your computer, it is because you have opened a file that included the trojan.
What Can A Trojan Horse Do?
A trojan can do anything from allowing a hacker to control every aspect of your computer. They can move your mouse before your eyes, or open your rom right in front of you as if you had done it yourself. They can also completely erase your hard drive, or implant more malicious information onto your computer. If you computer contains sensitive materials, a trojan will be your worst nightmare as anything saved to your hard drive will become available to the hacker who is using the trojan horse.
The best way to avoid a trojan horse is the same as avoiding a virus. Never open anything that hasn’t been virus scanned first. But it is important to also remember that not all trojans can be found through a virus scanner. Be sure to download a trojan cleaner and occasionally run it on your computer to be sure of the safety of your files and programs.
