Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Cybersecurity Practice Test

What type of malicious software is disguised as legitimate software to mislead users?

1. Worm

2. Trojan Horse

3. Virus

4. Scareware

The correct answer is: Trojan Horse

The correct answer is Trojan Horse because this type of malicious software is specifically designed to appear as legitimate software in order to deceive users. The term "Trojan Horse" comes from ancient Greek mythology, where it refers to a deceptive tactic used to infiltrate cities. In the realm of cybersecurity, a Trojan horse often masquerades as a beneficial application, encouraging users to download and execute it. Once activated, it can perform malicious activities such as stealing personal information, creating backdoors, or allowing unauthorized access to the system. While other types of malware exist, such as worms, viruses, and scareware, they operate differently. Worms can replicate themselves to spread across networks but do not typically disguise themselves as legitimate software. Viruses attach themselves to other executable files to spread, again lacking the disguise element inherent to the Trojan Horse. Scareware manipulates users by instilling fear, often prompting them to pay for fake security services, but it does not necessarily have the same method of disguising functionality as legitimate software.