What does a Trojan horse represent in the context of cybersecurity?

A Trojan horse in cybersecurity represents a malicious program that disguises itself as legitimate software. This type of malware gets its name from the ancient Greek myth of the wooden horse used to infiltrate the city of Troy. In the digital realm, a Trojan horse often tricks users into downloading and installing it by appearing to be a useful or benign application. Once installed, it can perform harmful actions such as stealing personal information, granting unauthorized access to other systems, or enabling control by cybercriminals.

The effectiveness of Trojans lies in their deceptive nature; they exploit users' trust rather than relying on traditional methods like self-replication or spreading through vulnerabilities. Unlike viruses or worms that can replicate themselves, Trojans depend on social engineering tactics to spread, making them a common threat in the cybersecurity landscape.