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TROJAN HORSE
A seemingly innocuous program
that secretly contains a virus.
More Detailed Definition:
A destructive program that
masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses
do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive.
One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that
claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces
viruses onto your computer.
The term comes from a story in Homer's Iliad, in which the Greeks
give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly
as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside
their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow
belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour
in and capture Troy.
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