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Trojan Horse
A Trojan horse is a type of malicious software or malware that disguises itself i.e., appears to be a useful
software program but once it reaches a computer, it starts behaving like a virus and destroying data.
Such programs often accompany computer games, but unlike worms, they don’t replicate themselves. They
are activated when the user is busy interacting with entertaining programs or with interface like computer
games. Some examples of Trojan are Linux, Wifatch, Infostealer, Kronbank, etc.
To prevent a Trojan Horse virus from entering and infecting a computer, it is advisable not to open spam, email
attachments, or files that may look attractive and luring, but have been sent by unknown senders on the Internet.
Spyware
Spyware is a program that infects and collects information of the computer without the owner’s knowledge
or consent. A spyware generally infects a computer system by getting transmitted through Internet via
websites, webpages, or emails. It intrudes into a computer and silently steals the data from it. In other words,
it refers to that kind of software which can track the activities of a computer system and report to the users.
Keylogger is an example of a spyware.
Spam
Spam refers to an unwanted and unsolicited message which is received in the inbox of a person’s email
account or newsgroups. The one who sends the spam is called a spammer. Generally, spam is sent with an
intention to advertise products and services.
How can a Computer Get Infected with Virus
Infected files Infected pen drives
Infected CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs Through infected file attachment of e-mails
Notes
1. Computer virus cannot infect files on CD or DVD, if they are closed for writing.
2. Computer virus cannot infect computer hardware like, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Protecting Your Data
To protect our data from theft and viruses we can take the following measures:
Update the Antivirus: If some new virus has developed after the installation of the loaded antivirus, then
it may not be recognised by the loaded antivirus, and therefore, it may not prevent that virus. In that case,
the existing antivirus has to be updated in order to install its latest virus signature and clean new virus. For
updating an antivirus, the user needs to connect to its URL. The antivirus would then automatically get
updated on the host computer.
Use Password to Login to your Computer: Always use passwords that are difficult to guess. Passwords
are difficult to hack if they are a mix of small letters (a, b, c, d, etc.), capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.), numbers
(8, 7, 6, 5, etc.) and special characters (%, ^, #, $, etc.). This would prevent unauthorised people from
accessing your computer.
Encrypt Data: This is usually done by banks and companies where important customer information is shared
and stored. They can encrypt their entire hard Disc using encrypting feature in Windows (Bitlocker), forcing
users to use a decryption password (or key) before starting the computer, thus preventing unauthorised
usage.
60 Information Technology Play (Ver 1.0)-X

