In its Q4 Web Security Trends Report, the Finjan Malicious Code Research Center warns that traditional methods of defense against crimeware Trojans -- signature-based detection and blocking command-and-control channels -- will be increasingly ineffective as crimeware creators take advantage of Web 2.0 technology.
Trojans, in the context of computers, are simply programs that appear to be benign but are in fact malicious. When run, they install programs or execute scripts that can steal or damage data on the host system. Trojan keyloggers, which record the keystrokes of users on a compromised system and send those keystrokes to a data thief, are one popular manifestation of this kind of software. Typically, Trojan programs can be controlled by the remote attacker.
While Trojan 2.0 may sound like the latest in a long line of terms that have attempted to piggyback on the market recognition of Web 2.0, Finjan's decision to refer to the emerging generation of Trojans thus has some merit because Trojan 2.0 code exploits Web 2.0 systems and software.
