The Hindu Business Line : Preventing Trojan horse intrusions

I am a home-based user of Windows XP ( service Pack 1). My system has the following configuration: Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 1, P4, 1.9 Ghz, 128 MB RAM and 40 Gb HDD.

Recently I was copying some data from my pen drive to my system. (I had copied data into my pen drive from my friend's PC.)

Soon after, my Norton Antivirus warned me that it had blocked a Trojan horse (I don't remember its name now).

I immediately deleted all the stuff, carried a full system scan using my Norton Antivirus and further scanned my system using Ad-Aware SE Personal (Lavasoft Technology).

Later, while I was surfing the Internet, my Norton Antivirus Internet Security flashed a message that it had foiled a bid by a Trojan horse to connect to the local computer. I thought it referred to the same Trojan horse blocked initially by my system.

The same notice flashed on my screen a couple of days later again. Why is this happening? Please suggest a solution.

Anuj Jain

Please install Service Pack 2, and enable the Windows Firewall feature in that. Norton will prevent virus and other Trojan attacks but updating your system with the latest service pack and patches will close the possibility of entry for such virus and Trojans.

What is happening in your case is the Trojan is entering your system using a vulnerability or loophole in your system. Norton immediately prevents it and displays a message about it.

When you install SP2 and other Critical patches, it will patch-up and close such vulnerabilities and loopholes, thus preventing the Trojan from entering the system itself.

Windows SP2 is a huge download for a home user (260 MB ) so Microsoft offers shipping the SP2 on a CD to your home, free of cost. You can register for it at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/

downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/

default.mspx

Once you have SP2 installed, please make sure you go to update.microsoft.com and install all the patches listed as `Critical Updates.'

Please e-mail us at eworld@thehindu.co.in

if you have queries on computer usage or if you find an interesting way of using a computer.

Solution by G. Rajah

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