Part 2 – 4: : Terms and Definitions for Trojan Horse
| Term | Definition |
| Trojan Horse | Fake software that looks legitimate but is actually a virus |
| Potentially Unwanted Program | Additional “unwanted” software from an installer which clutter your computer |
| Backdoor | A way for attackers to easily gain access to an infected system with no user interaction |
| Remote Administration Tool | Remote access to infected systems with advanced tools such as admin privilege’s and user monitoring services |
While most malware attacks rely on a user clicking a link, another way an attacker may infect your computer is through a trojan horse. A trojan horse is malware that pretends to be something else but is actually a virus. That is why it is important to always determine what website you are downloading something from which is reputable. Example of this is you are trying to purchase and download Microsoft Word application but the only website you could find it from comes from a different website that microsoft.com. The issue is that you never really know if the alternative website is a scam or if its true. Most anti-virus software and systems on computers will tend to scan the file before you try to open it. The anti-virus will determine if the software has executable malware within and quarantine until you can further look into the issue.
An easy way for malware to get installed is through unwanted programs or PUPS (potentially unwanted programs). These are programs that come in addition to the main program during the installation. Most of the time these do not contain malware but a sophisticated installer could make the fake programs look legitimate.
Disguised programs can easily do harm to your computer than most other malware, that is because trojan horses can alter your computer OS system configurations such as your registry or startup items, system files, alter other programs than its own, etc. Other times, trojans may implement some type of backdoor on your system so that the attacker can gain access to your system at any time. A more advanced version of a backdoor is considered a RAT (Remote Administration Tool) used by attackers to not only access the infected system, but also control other items on the computer which require admin privilege’s, and at most extend to other devices on the same network.