In computing, which of the following is a program downloaded and installed on…
2024
In computing, which of the following is a program downloaded and installed on a computer that appears harmless, but is in fact, malicious.
Answer: A. Trojan Horse — ConceptMalware categories are distinguished by their delivery mechanism and their trigger, not by the damage they cause. Three questions separate them: How…
- A.
Trojan Horse
- B.
Time Bomb
- C.
Worm
- D.
Logic Bomb
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
Malware categories are distinguished by their delivery mechanism and their trigger, not by the damage they cause. Three questions separate them:
How does the code reach the machine — user-initiated installation under a false identity, self-propagation over a network, or insertion inside an existing program?
What makes the payload fire — running the program, the system clock reaching a set time, or a logical condition becoming true?
Can the code replicate itself without help?
One category is defined purely by deception at the moment of installation: the code is wrapped in something the user is willing to bring inside, so the user, not the attacker, performs the installation.
Applying it here
The stem fixes two attributes: the delivery is user-initiated ("downloaded and installed on a computer"), and the disguise is the defining trait ("appears harmless, but is in fact, malicious"). It says nothing about a clock, a condition, or self-spreading. The category built on exactly delivery-by-disguise is the Trojan Horse, named after the wooden horse of Troy, which the defenders themselves wheeled through their own gates.
Contrast with the other categories
Category | Defining trait | Why the stem does not match |
|---|---|---|
Time Bomb | A clock trigger: dormant code that fires on a preset date or time. | The stem names no time or date trigger. |
Worm | Self-propagation: it copies itself from host to host across a network with no user action. | The stem’s delivery is a user-initiated download and installation. |
Logic Bomb | A conditional trigger inside an existing program: it fires when a specified logical condition holds. | The stem describes disguise at install time, not a condition. |
Only delivery-by-disguise matches the stem, so the answer is Trojan Horse.