What Is the Trojan-Phisher-Lewt Threat?

A Trojan-Phisher threat allows a computer attacker to harvest private data, such as passwords to banking and credit card accounts. The name of a Trojan horse sometimes includes an extension indicating its attachment to a specific system or file. "Lewt," an alternative spelling of "loot," is a word used in online gaming.

Infection

• Typically disguised as a harmless software program, a Trojan-Phisher threat gains access to a computer system through an email attachment. Once the attachment is opened, an auto-installation process kicks in and loads the spyware onto the computer without the user's knowledge.

Actions

• Trojan-Phisher threats are considered high-level security threats because they have the ability to run silently in the background and log sensitive information. The data they gather is then used to enter financial websites and may also be broadcast to hackers.

Indications

• Slow browser performance, corrupted registry keys, disabled firewalls and redirected search engine results, collectively or individually, might signal the presence of a Trojan-Phisher threat.

Removal

• Directions for removing Trojan-Phisher threats are available at security and antivirus software websites, including AVG, Symantec, McAfee and Avast. An antivirus software program installed prior to the infection may detect and eradicate a potential threat.