What is trojan horse? 15 steps for preventing trojans!

Malware attacks have caused massive damage to businesses across industries around the world. Businesses need to be proactive about malware types, and how to tackle different threats. A trojan horse is a type of malware that comes off as a legitimate file, code, or software, and therefore, the user is tricked into installing or executing the same. Here’s what businesses need to know about trojans. 

The basics

Firstly, a trojan is not same as a virus, although both are types of malware. A virus, once it infects a device, network, or system, is capable of replicating on its own, which isn’t the same with trojans. Trojans must be executed. Trojans are typically used to copy, steal, or modify data, sometimes to launch ransomware attacks, or spy on user activities. Trojans can be hard to detect, so unsuspecting employees may end up downloading or executing these malicious codes and programs. 

Steps for preventing trojan attacks

There are some simple steps that can be taken to prevent trojans and malware attacks in general – 

1. Ask employees to never execute, download, or use a file, code, or program unknown to them. 
2. Restrict the access to internet, at least to suspicious sites, at the workplace. 
3. Recommend a spam filter for your employees. 
4. Ask employees to change all default passwords immediately. 
5. Passwords should be never repeated or reused. 
6. If an account has been breached, passwords should be changed immediately. 
7. If your employees are not using a password manager, suggest one that can be trusted. 
8. Watch out for email attachments, as these typically contain trojans. 
9. Scan systems, devices, and networks on a regular basis, to find suspicious files and activities. 
10. Ensure that all devices, including IP cameras, are placed behind firewalls. 
11. Use network segmentation, or firebreak, so that compromise on a subnetwork doesn’t impact others. 
12. Schedule regular backups. Backups can be really handy for restoring systems and networks, in case a breach occurs. 
13. Ensure that your employees are wary of pop-up windows, which often have amazing offers that seem too good to be true. 
14. Ask your employees to report any email that ask for business or personal information. 
15. If a cybersecurity incident does occur, ensure that there are steps known for mitigating the risks. 

As you may have guessed, none of these steps require massive money or effort. All it takes is a few proactive measures, and for that, the entire organization has to come together.