Trojan Horse .Greek Myth or Computer Nemesis? We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses, but instead, introduces viruses into your computer. The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasn't been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their "free", attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical, but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments. When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please. To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines: Remain diligent. Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source. Ensure that your operating system is always up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential. Install reliable spyware removal software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, spyware, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the spyware removal program that you choose can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the internet. Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer spyware problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti spyware software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer. Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer's security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines. Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com Andrew Saari will help you rid your computer of spyware including Trojans, dialers and worms. For a free spyware removal scan and download go to www.spyware-removal-site.com Trend Micro Problem Trend Micro is the Japan-based multinational antivirus company. Headquartered in Tokyo, Trend Micro develops software to protect against computer viruses. The company has its offices located in Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, China, France, Germany, Ireland and USA. The company also has a global virus/worm response center, called TrendLabs aimed to research and inform about worldwide security threats. Trend Micro is widely known for bringing out the PC-cillin range of anti-virus software. The company is also creator of the free, online, browser-based virus scanner, HouseCall. Since 2004, Trend Micro products have been used by the MSN Hotmail to scan messages and attachments in free and Hotmail Plus accounts instead of McAfee; this has greatly popularized the company. The company got little setback in 2005. 2005 was trend micro problem year. The 2005 trend micro problem was created by a high-profile false alarm that caused widespread computer crashes and turmoil across Asia. The company in the same year released a faulty virus pattern file, which resulted in higher-than-normal CPU consumption, causing system slowdowns and problems for some of its OfficeScan, PC-cillin and ServerProtect customers. The company admitted that the trend micro problem was caused by "insufficient work in compatibility testing" before the update was publicly released. The reason behind the trend micro problem was Trend Micro's OPR (Official Pattern Release) 2.594.00, which was designed to target the growing number of "bot" threats that infect computers, which can be controlled remotely by hackers to spread viruses or spam. One of the patterns within the OPR caused as much as 100 % CPU utilization, with the potential to lock up users' machines. The update was available for roughly 90 minutes, and users had to have automatic updates enabled or had to manually download the file during that time in order to receive the file. The trend micro problem caused PCs to slow down or stop working around the world. The company officials apologized for trend micro problem due to a faulty software update that caused IT workers around the world to spend the weekend fixing their systems. The company promised to compensate customers who suffered due to trend micro problem. The company brought out Interscan Web Security Appliance (IWSA) in February 2006. IWSA is an appliance that acts as the first line of defense against threats like spyware, grayware, viruses, and phishing. IWSA is Trend Micro’s latest addition to the company's multi-layered approach to protecting enterprise organizations against spyware and other threats. Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com The author is Technical News Editor for TopNews. The website offers advice on various Technology related topics and Security News. The websites also offers Business and Forex Updates.