Trojan Horse
What is Trojan Horse?
Trojan HorseMalware that disguises itself as a legitimate program to trick users into running it, delivering a hidden malicious payload.
A trojan horse (or simply trojan) is malware that hides inside something the user wants — a cracked game, a fake invoice, a phony software update, a pirated installer. Unlike viruses and worms, trojans do not self-replicate; they rely on social engineering and user execution. Once running, they can install backdoors, steal credentials, log keystrokes, drop ransomware, or recruit the host into a botnet. Many modern malware families (banking trojans, RATs) follow this pattern. Defences combine email filtering, code signing, application allow-listing, EDR, user awareness, and least-privilege execution policies.
● Examples
- 01
Emotet, originally a banking trojan that became a major malware distribution platform.
- 02
Zeus/Zbot, a banking trojan that stole online-banking credentials for years.
● Frequently asked questions
What is Trojan Horse?
Malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program to trick users into running it, delivering a hidden malicious payload. It belongs to the Malware category of cybersecurity.
What does Trojan Horse mean?
Malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program to trick users into running it, delivering a hidden malicious payload.
How do you defend against Trojan Horse?
Defences for Trojan Horse typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.
What are other names for Trojan Horse?
Common alternative names include: Trojan, Malicious trojan.