Computer viruses, spyware, and trojan horses are just a few of the names for the hacker created bugs that invade our computer systems. The computer trojan horse aptly gets its name from an ancient Greek myth about the trojan horse built by Odysseus. As the Greeks were losing the battle of Troy during the Trojan Wars, Odysseus arranged for a giant wooden horse to be delivered to Troy as an apparent peace offering. During the night, it was revealed that the wooden horse actually housed an army of Greek soldiers who planned a sneak attack against the Trojans.

The trojan horse is a fitting name for this particular type of spyware because it serves a similar function in today’s world as it did in ancient Greece. While the computer trojan horse appears to be one thing, it is actually something quite different. It might look like something positive, but it is the very opposite.

Disguising a Trojan Horse

Hackers work hard to disguise trojan horses in various ways in order to dupe the everyday computer user. Sometimes it will come in the form of a popup that congratulates you on winning $10,000. Upon clicking on the popup, you infect your computer with a trojan horse.

Similarly, a trojan horse can get into your computer through different kinds of downloads. They can come from any type of file, whether it is music, video, or text. Hackers make it a point to hide what you are really downloading before you realize what you have.

The Wrath of a Trojan Horse

Trojan horses can create a long list of problems for you and your computer. The first that comes to mind for many is adware. This stuff travels with useful downloads that you choose to put on your computer, like a free game or a new type of music player.

When you download that game or player, you are also accepting adware, which will flood your computer with pesky popups and unwanted advertisements. Sometimes adware can make your computer virtually unusable because of the volume of advertisements.

Other types of spyware transferred to your computer via trojan horses can have other detrimental effects on your computer system. Common symptoms of a trojan horse are a slowing system and inexplicable changes to your web browser, like a change in your homepage or unwanted toolbars that materialize.

While the aforementioned trojan horses can prove to be major inconveniences, there are other, more frightening types of trojan horses. These are oftentimes called keyloggers. Keyloggers record every keystroke you make on your computer while you are online. These nasty programs keep track of every e-mail you write and password you type. They then send the information back to their hacker to compile and sell or use for their own purposes.

Avoiding Trojan Horses
There are several simple steps you can take to avoid being infected with a trojan horse. First and foremost, never download something that doesn’t appear to be from a legitimate source. And if you don’t know the source, proceed with caution.

Also, don’t click on popups. Period. They are nothing but trouble. If you are getting popups, there is a good chance you already have some kind of trojan horse. When you click on one, you may just be inviting more trojan horses to make a home in your system.

The other vital step you should take when fighting trojan horses is to get antispyware software. This software will detect and wipe out any existing trojan horses, as well as prevent you from getting any more in the future.

There are tons of options when it comes to antispyware software, so make sure to do you homework before committing to one. The information you are protecting is incredibly important and deserves the best defense against trojan horses.

Keep these things in mind next time you are surfing the internet.