You may not be aware of it, but you can already be a victim of cybercrime. If you transact business online, there is a big chance that your software has already been hacked. Today, with various sophisticated malware, it is not very difficult for hackers to obtain personal information from you. One of the prevalent malware is Trojan. Last year, it was reported that a cyber crime organization obtained the passwords, usernames, and account numbers of thousands of bank accounts by using the Trojan malware.
How Trojan aids cyber criminals
Some people believe that Trojan is not as harmful as a virus or a worm. But contrary to this belief, Trojan can be just as dangerous, if not more. The serious danger lies when it is used by cyber criminals to hack information. To obtain information, the Trojan waits for the user to enter a specific URL and then it replaces the URL with a fake one. It then keeps the information that the user has encoded. What’s more, a Trojan cannot easily be detected by your typical anti-virus software. So you may not know it if your computer has already been infected with one.
Tips to avoid being hacked
Though Trojan can evade anti-virus software, it is still best that you install one and keep it constantly updated. You should also take extra care when dealing with spam email that asks for your private information. It’s vital that you avoid sending our your passwords and your bank account and credit card numbers through email. And if you want to visit the website of a financial or academic institution, type the URL directly instead of clicking some links.