Trojan’s are probably the most compromising of all types of attacks. Trojans are being released by the hundreds every week, each more cleverly designed that the other. In my studies I have found that Trojans are primarily responsible for almost all Windows Based machines being compromised.
For those of you who do not know what Trojans are I’ll briefly explain. Trojans are small programs that effectively give “hackers” remote control over your entire Computer.
Some common features with Trojans are as follows:
- Open your CD-Rom drive
- Capture a screenshot of your computer
- Record your key strokes and send them to the “Hacker”
- Full Access to all your drives and files
- Ability to use your computer as a bridge to do other acking related activities.
- Disable your keyboard
- Disable your mouse…and more!
Generally Trojan has two parts to it. There is a Client and a Server. The server is the file that would have to get installed on victims system. Here’s how the hack would go. After the Trojan installs on victims computer, it will then send a message to the hacker telling him the following information.
Username: (A name they call you)
IP Address: (Your IP address)
Online: (Your victim is online)
So it doesn’t matter if you are on dial up. The potential hacker will automatically be notified when you log on to your computer.
Listed below are some other ways they can get the infected file to you.
- News Groups: By posting articles in newsgroups with file attachments like (mypic.exe) in adult newsgroups are almost guaranteed to have someone fall victim.
- Grapevine: Unfortunately there is no way to control this effect. You receive the file from a friend who received it from a friend etc. etc.
- Email: The most widely used delivery method. It can be sent as an attachment in an email addressed to you.
- Unsafe Web sites: Web sites that are not “above the table” so to speak. Files downloaded from such places should always be accepted with high suspicion.
- Chat Sites: Chat sites are probably one of the primary places that this sort of activity takes place. The sad part to that is 80% are not aware of it.
