Trojan horse (computing)

In computing, a trojan horse or trojan is a kind of malware that misleads users as to its true intent by disguising itself as a normal program. Trojans are generally spread by some form of social engineering. Although their payload can be anything, many modern forms act as a backdoor, contacting a controller who can then have unauthorized access to the affected device. Ransomware attacks are often carried out using a trojan. Unlike computer viruses and worms, trojans generally do not attempt to inject themselves into other files or otherwise propagate themselves. Trojan horses are named after the Trojan Horse of Greek mythology.