Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · APIs, Networking and Security

Trojan

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/ˈtroʊdʒən/nounCore term

In software engineering, trojan means: Malware disguised as a useful or harmless program, such as a free tool or a document, that secretly performs harmful actions once it is run.

In Turkish: truva atı, trojan

How it is used

Short for 'Trojan horse', from the Greek legend. Unlike a worm, it does not spread by itself; the user has to run it. A remote access trojan (RAT) gives the attacker control of the machine, and banking trojans steal online banking details.

Example sentences

  1. The cracked software from the forum turned out to contain a trojan.

  2. Analysis shows the trojan was sending screenshots to a remote server.

Common collocations

  • remote access trojan
  • banking trojan
  • Trojan horse
  • trojanised installer
  • malwareShort for 'malicious software': any program written to damage systems, steal data, spy on users or take control of a device without permission.
  • backdoorA hidden way into a system that bypasses normal authentication, either left by developers or installed by attackers so they can return later.
  • wormMalware that copies itself and spreads from one computer to another across a network without any action from the user.
  • keyloggerSoftware or a small hardware device that secretly records every key a user presses, often to capture passwords and private messages.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: APIs, Networking and Security

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: