Beware the Trojan

If you’ve been on the Internet very long, you’ve probably come into direct or at least indirect contact with some kind of virus or Trojan. Several years ago here at Windows IT Pro, we had an editorial assistant who unknowingly opened an email attachment that was in fact a worm. We soon had numerous files missing from the network, and our IT folks were scrambling to minimize the damage.

This week, BitDefender released a list of the current top 3 e-threats in the US. First is “Trojan.Clicker.CM,” which is a Trojan that is distributed on infected Web sites via popup ads. “Trojan.Clicker.CM” bypasses the Norton Internet Security Pop-up Blocker.

Second is “Trojan.Downloader.WMA.Wimad.N.” This Trojan pretends to be a helper application but downloads and runs “Adware.PlayMp3z.A,” which is an application that takes personal information from your computer. This information is then used for marketing or other purposes.

Third, but perhaps the most alarming, is a fake antivirus installer called “Trojan.FakeAlert.PP.” This Trojan claims to install “XP Antivirus” and requests payment for removal of the viruses it supposedly finds.

Have you encountered any of these Trojans? I’m interested in hearing your experiences with them, including the effects and how you eliminated them from your systems. Or, send me any other interesting experiences you’ve had with viruses, worms, etc. Who knows, we might just use your story in the magazine!