Troj/Agent-HFZ

Trojans are malware that appear to perform a useful function but actually allow third-party access to an infected computer, leaving the user open to loss of private information, identity theft and even computer file damage. Trojans are not self-replicating and need user interaction both on the receiving and sending end to do damage. Troj/Agent-HFZ is one version of one of these creepy little code critters. Most antivirus software will be about to remove this Trojan.

Troj/Agent-HFZ was first detected on August 16, 2007, and is considered a low-threat Trojan. Troj/Agent-HFZ is also known as Infostealer.Monstres because it has been known to access Monster.com and comb the job-placement website for information on stored resumes. Because of the way in which Monster.com stores resume information, employers and future employees are vulnerable to Troj/Agent-HFZ because the personal information on their resumes can be used to steal their identities. However, Troj/Agent-HFZ can steal sensitive information from computers even if the owner does not use Monster.com.

After collecting the information on a computer, Troj/Agent-HFZ sends all the data to a remote location. The data could include financial information, social security numbers, addresses and even internet search data that could threaten the computer owner's privacy. Employers who use Monster.com should be sure to protect other users by not storing sensitive resume information such as social security numbers on their networks.

A computer can become infected with Troj/Agent-HFZ in many ways, including via floppy disks and CDs. Troj/Agent-HFZ can also be transferred in email attachments, file downloads, and peer-to-peer and other file-sharing methods.

Troj/Agent-HFZ is usually moderately difficult to remove once it infects a system, although most antivirus software should be able to identify, quarantine and remove the Trojan relatively quickly. Troj/Agent-HFZ has a medium-threat level and is fairly easy to contain.

Troj/Agent-HFZ cannot infect your computer just because you opened an unknown email. The malware is released when you download an attachment to a suspicious email. Older versions of Microsoft Outlook occasionally had problems with malware that could infect a system when a user opened an unknown email but did not download an attachment.

Trojans aren't the most terrible form of malware, but they can wreak havoc on a computer. Trojans have been known to send spam email messages from a host computer without the owner's knowledge. They have also been known to crash computer networks and systems. Troj/Agent-HFZ is no exception, and you should immediately remove it if you discover it hiding in your system.

Troj/Agent-HFZ has been around long enough for most antivirus software to detect and block it from infecting your system, provided your antivirus software is enabled and up to date. In addition, many good firewalls and email filtering systems will check attachments before you receive them, offering even more protection against malware such as Troj/Agent-HFZ. Running virus scans and updating your antivirus software on a weekly, or even daily, basis should keep Troj/Agent-HFZ away from your personal data.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™