Trojan Viruses can cause Zombie Computers

If it seems like your computer might just have a mind of its own and does things that you never wanted it to do, chances are that you have a zombie computer.

This is caused from one of a few different things, a hacker, a computer virus, or a Trojan horse. If this is the case then your computer is not running by you, instead it is being directed on what to do from the hacker.

Millions of computers are zombies today and they are running under the direction of the hacker which usually includes giving directions for your computer to send sensitive information to other computers.

The owner never knows it but the zombie computer is literally sending out thousands of spam under your computer attempting to get people to make purchases. Sometimes this is done is a massive attack and sent to other computers, some of which may be corporate computers and can literally shut entire systems down.

The problems that are stemming from zombie computers is really out of control and it is estimated that well over half of today's spam is being sent by zombie computers. It starts with a virus tapping into a computer either by corrupt attachment or malicious email. A zombie is then created from a Trojan horse virus which is commonly known to piggy back onto another program. Then, once the zombie is inside of your computer it instructs your computer on what to do next. The task is always of malicious intent and the computer does exactly what it is told to do.

You may never even be the wiser about what is going on inside your computer either. However, you could get a letter from your ISP claiming that you have been spamming which will give you a real good clue as to what has been going on.

Try to avoid the situation from ever getting that far out of control by taking precautions. Install a good and updated anti virus protection program, install a two sided firewall as it will let you know when and if information is being sent from your computer, always check and make sure that your anti virus and firewall software are running because the first thing that a zombie computer does is disable them both. Also, only download from reputable companies, use anti spyware and adware protectors, and do not open any attachments.

Botnets are networks of zombies that work together to launch attacks on corporate websites. Botnets are also used for a lot of big-time money making schemes. It is a very big business. Billions of dollars are being made and hackers are using this as a primary means of supporting themselves and sometimes even their families. At one point Microsoft was a target of a botnet scheme. When corporations are under attack the results can be completely devastating more than just financially. Government policies continue to work on this widespread problem and stiffen the laws and penalties for this type of criminal activity.