Trojan-spy.win32.agent (Tutorial) - Free Guide
Trojan-spy.win32.agent Removal Guide
What is Trojan-spy.win32.agent?
Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen – dangerous malware that can be untraceable for a long time
Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen is the term used to describe a group of malicious trojan horses.
Trojan-spy.win32.agent is a generic name that describes a group of dangerous trojan horses that can perform malicious activities on the affected computer. Such cyber threats can sneak into machines unnoticed, can hide deep in the system and do harmful activities in the background. Trojan horses might be capable of stealing personal information, such as passwords/logins, banking or credit card information. Additionally, they might be used for malware, ransomware or spyware installation.
Name | Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen |
---|---|
Type | Trojan horse |
Distribution | Spam email attachments, advertisement-filled websites |
Danger level | High |
Potential dangers | Can open backdoors for other malicious viruses, can collect personal or financial data. |
Elimination | Remove Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen using FortectIntego |
Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen virus is one of the variants of a huge group of trojan horses[1] called Win32/Agent. Nevertheless, authors of such cyber threats try to create malware that can avoid detection; the major security vendors can still identify them. Among the most popular detections are these three versions of the trojan:
- Trojan-Spy.Win32.Agent(A)
- Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen
- Trojan-Spy.Win32.Agent.bbsq
Trojan horses that belong to the same family share similar functionality. However, they contain some specific features and are created for different reasons. Some of the viruses are created for stealing information, and others are used for opening a backdoor for other cyber threats. Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen might be used for the following reasons:
- steal user's login details and passwords;
- collect credit card details and other financial data;
- track keyboard entries and make screenshots;
- open backdoor for ransomware, spyware or other malware.
In order to perform these and many other activities, Trojan-spy.win32.agent needs to find its way to get into the system. However, these cyber threats cannot get into the machine without user's participation. Usually, developers of malware trick people into downloading obfuscated programs or updates. Also, trojan might spread via malicious spam emails or ads.
Once it gets into the computer, malware immediately makes system changes. Usually, it modifies Windows registry, deletes or creates new registry keys in order to boot on startup or disable computer's protection. Due to these changes, the affected machine becomes sluggish, programs unresponsive and countless system error messages might pop on the screen as well.
Some versions of Trojan-spy.win32.agent might also disturb browsing activities by displaying aggressive ads and preventing from accessing security-related websites. The latter trick helps malware to remain on the system longer because users are unable to install needed tools for the elimination.
However, Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen removal has to be completed despite resistant trojan's behavior. For this task, you will need to install anti-malware program and scan the affected machine. In order to do so, you may need to boot the computer to Safe Mode with Networking. This helps to disable the virus and complete automatic elimination with FortectIntego or other reputable software.
Please do not try to remove Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen manually. It's nearly impossible to clean all malicious files and programs from the machine. Trojan horses are complex cyber threats and might bring other malware to the system. So, you should rely on powerful anti-malware tools to make the system safe again.
Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen virus can exist on your computer longer that you think.
Developers of trojan horses use multiple distribution strategies
The name “trojan horse” itself reveals the main way how these malicious programs spread. They look like safe and legitimate files, programs or updates that users can download from the Internet. Developers of trojans use various strategies to trick users into letting malware into the system. Specialists from Les Virus[2] infrom about the most popular methods:
- they upload obfuscated free or cracked programs that are actually malicious (e.g. if you download cracked Photoshop from peer-to-peer networks[3] or torrents, it might actually be a trojan);
- they can use pop-up ads that warn about available Java or Flash updates;
- they might display banners on websites that claim about detected viruses and urge to download security tools to clean the device;
- they might include trojans in email attachments that look like safe and important documents.
Thus, it's important to be careful when browsing online in order to avoid cyber infections. Always use legit download sources, stay away from suspicious ads and emails. Installing and regularly updating security program is also needed for computer's protection.
Trojan-spy.win32.agent removal requires using anti-malware software
Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen removal is not that easy, so we do not recommend any attempts of removing this virus yourself. As we have already mentioned, it may have installed various components and affected system processes, so it is nearly impossible to find and delete all these components manually.
In order to remove Trojan-spy.win32.agent.gen correctly, you need to use professional and powerful malware removal software, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes. Once you download security software, update it and run a full system scan. If you cannot download or run security software, you have to reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Networking. You can find the guide below.
Getting rid of Trojan-spy.win32.agent. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Rebooting Windows computer to Safe Mode with Networking allows disabling the virus and run security software:
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove Trojan-spy.win32.agent using System Restore
System Restore method is another way to disable trojan and run security software for virus elimination:
-
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
- Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
-
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
- Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
- Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
- When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Trojan-spy.win32.agent. After doing that, click Next.
- Now click Yes to start system restore.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Trojan-spy.win32.agent and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting trojans
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
- ^ Olivia Morelli . Banking trojan Trickbot returns with improved operation. 2-spyware. SEcurity and spyware news.
- ^ Lesvirus. Lesvirus. Spyware news.
- ^ James Cope. What's a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network?. Computer world. IT news.