A destructive computer program that masquerades as a useful application is called

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Question

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UGC NET Paper 1: Held on 8 Oct 2022 Shift 2

Answer 1

Malware is a programme that is made to access computer systems without the user's consent.

Key Points

Examples of malware are Ransomware, spyware, Trojan horses, and worms.
Trojan typically appears as a harmless email attachment or free download.
A Trojan is a programme that has been downloaded and installed on a computer that pretends to be harmless but is actually harmful.
The email attachment's concealed virus gets downloaded to the user's computer when they click on it or download the free programme.
Trojans cannot propagate or replicate themselves.

Thus, a destructive computer program that masquerades as a useful application is called a Trojan.

Additional Information

Firmware: It is software that offers fundamental machine instructions so that hardware can run and interact with other programmes that are installed on a device.
Virus: It is a little piece of software that travels from computer to computer and obstructs normal operation.
Worm: A computer worm is a subset of Trojan horse malware that, once infiltrating a system, can spread or self-replicate from one computer to another