Trojan horse viruses can spread through various means, including:
The Trojan horse virus, named after the legendary wooden horse used to infiltrate the city of Troy, is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program or software. Once installed on a computer, it allows unauthorized access to sensitive information, compromising the security and integrity of the system. This paper provides an overview of Trojan horse viruses, their characteristics, types, and methods of propagation. We also discuss the impact of these viruses on computer security and provide recommendations for prevention and mitigation.
The Trojan horse remains one of the most enduring and dangerous forms of malware because it exploits the most vulnerable component of any system: . While viruses and worms have declined relative to Trojans in modern threat landscapes, the caballo de Troya continues to evolve, adopting fileless techniques, polymorphic code, and AI-driven social engineering. The best defense is a combination of technical controls, user awareness, and a healthy skepticism toward any unexpected file or link.
Creating, distributing, or using Trojan horses is illegal in most jurisdictions under computer misuse laws (e.g., US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, EU Cybercrime Convention). Penalties range from fines to multi-year imprisonment. However, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been known to deploy legal Trojans (e.g., FBI’s CIPAV ) to surveil suspects. This raises significant ethical and privacy concerns.