{"id":8030,"date":"2022-03-22T16:18:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T16:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersmart.com\/?p=8030"},"modified":"2022-03-22T16:18:20","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T16:18:20","slug":"what-is-a-banking-trojan-and-how-do-you-stop-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersmart.com\/blog\/what-is-a-banking-trojan-and-how-do-you-stop-one\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a banking trojan and how do you stop one?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zeus, SpyEye, Emotet. What do those names mean to you? If you guessed characters from the latest instalment of the Marvel superhero franchise, you\u2019d be wrong (although, great guess). In fact, much as they sound like supervillains, they\u2019re all high-profile banking trojans.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Since they emerged in the mid-noughties, banking trojans have morphed into one of the most dangerous cyber threats out there. But what are they? And how can you protect your business?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a banking trojan?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start by addressing what a banking trojan is. A banking trojan is a particularly nasty form of trojan horse, one designed to gain access to confidential information processed by online banking systems. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Banking trojans typically come in two forms. One uses a \u2018backdoor\u2019 to gain access to the victim’s computer, while the other copies a victim\u2019s credentials by spoofing a financial institution’s login webpage.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do they work?<\/b><\/h3>\n

As we\u2019ve already mentioned, a banking trojan is a type of trojan horse. And, as the name suggests, it works in much the same way as the<\/span> Greek mythological horse<\/span><\/a>. A trojan horse will look and work like a legitimate piece of software until it\u2019s installed on a device. However, once it\u2019s installed, it can be used to access files and systems, steal data or credentials, and even control the host device.<\/span>
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A banking trojan performs the same tasks, only it\u2019s aimed solely at causing financial damage. It can steal your banking credentials, make unauthorised transactions, or withdraw funds to the attackers\u2019 accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are banking Trojans so dangerous?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

There are a couple of reasons that banking trojans are an exceptionally dangerous form of malware. First, there\u2019s the problem that they\u2019re usually very well disguised as legitimate software, which makes identifying them tricky for anyone who isn\u2019t a cyber expert. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Second, there\u2019s the damage they can do. A successful banking trojan attack can be financially ruinous for the victim: in the worst-case scenario, it gives a cybercriminal total access to your bank accounts and money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you know when you\u2019ve been hit?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

A banking trojan might be difficult to spot, but it\u2019s not impossible<\/span>. <\/span>There are a few telltale signs to keep an eye out for.<\/span><\/p>\n