Malware Authors Turn Up the Heat on Trojan Creation for 2011

It is no mystery that computer viruses, spyware and other types of malware are a serious threat to not only our computers, but how we conduct everyday life. The creators of malware have increased their efforts recently to engulf anti-virus and anti-spyware defenses with all types of Trojans.

Trojans are a serious nuisance that could literally turn your computer into a zombie under the mercy of a remotely connected hacker. Trojans make up about 70% of new malware strains created during the first three months of 2011. These malware strains, about 73,000 created daily, account for a volume of 10,000 more than those created the same time last year according to stats from security vendor Panda Security.

The creators of Trojans have brutal objectives in infecting thousands of computers every day. It can be said that they have increasingly targeted vulnerabilities to break into computers. A number of massively exploited vulnerabilities can be found in Java-based attacks where hackers are able to aim for different types of web browser platforms. This is how cybercrooks are able to steal online banking login credentials leading potentially leading to theft of money. This type of criminal activity could literally turn your life upside down.

Reportedly, other malware strains such as worms, viruses and spam have only accounted for a small percentage of increasing levels of malware. Viruses make up the second most common threat category for increasing malware this year while Trojans continue to take the cake. We may be witnessing a slight shift in malware trends for this year when compared to previous years when Trojans did not dominate the field of malware as much.

Although we have noticed that all types of malware have had an increase in volume this year versus last year, Trojans steadily continue to be the 'hackers choice' on the menu of PC malware threats. Why is this so? If you factor in how versatile some Trojans can be, then you may better understand why Trojan infections are so rampart. It could even come down to the fact that a Trojan can essentially allow an attacker to 'control' a computer in a stealthy manor. This means that a large percentage of computer users with a Trojan infected system may not realize their computer is infected with such a parasite until after the damage has been done.

Computer users must also come to the realization that Trojans can be the initiating factor in a group of hackers creating a botnet, a network of compromised computers. According to computer security researchers, almost 75% of all spam sent in 2010, mostly related to pharmaceutical products, came from botnets. These botnets can also be obtained by a cybercrook for a minimal fee which supports the idea on how easy it is for hackers to use Trojans in forming botnets.

In an effort to prevent your system from being infected by Trojans or other known types of malware, the utilization of an anti-spyware or anti-virus program is recommended. How do you protect your computer from Trojans?