Wiretap trojan

A wiretap trojan (also known as a trojan horse) is a type of malicious software that is designed to covertly gain access to communications that are sent and received via a computer’s network connection. In effect, this means that a wire-tap trojan, when installed on a user’s device, can be used to intercept or monitor their communication by intercepting the signals, before they can be encrypted and sent, as they transit from the sender’s device to the recipient.

Wiretap trojans are used by malicious actors to monitor and track a user’s activity and communication. This illegal activity can be used to gain access to sensitive and private information that would be normally be inaccessible for the malicious actor. In particular, wiretap trojans are often used to gain access to banking information, passwords, or to launch more serious forms of espionage, such as political espionage.

Due to the sophistication of wiretap trojan technology, malware that utilise such techniques often has the ability to bypass typical anti-virus techniques such as signature detection and anomaly detection, making it harder for a user or end point protection software to detect the intrusion. Wiretap trojans must be installed manually, using techniques such as social engineering and phishing, or through exploits of known weaknesses in user devices or systems.

Given the alarming potential of wiretap trojans, users should always be aware of the dangers of such malware, as well as take the appropriate measures to prevent such infection. Employing a firewall, regularly updating devices, and utilising endpoint security tools that can detect malicious activity, are some of the methods users can utilise in order to protect themselves.

References:

Malavolta, V. (2015). Wiretap Trojans: The New Face of Cyber Espionage. Retrieved from https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/wiretap-trojans-new-face-cyber-espionage.

Webb, M. (2010). What is a wiretap Trojan? Retrieved from https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/ask-a-question/what-is-a-wiretap-trojan-3632661/.