Trojan

Can someone help the computer illiterate, what's a "Trojan", as in:

"The Star Internet anti-virus service, powered by MessageLabs,
discovered a possible virus or unauthorised code (such as a joke program or trojan) in an email sent to you."

It means Trojan Horse as that story about the big wooden horse. It's a program that claims to be something innocent but in reality is doing something else behind the scenes. Usually it's something nasty.

- Trevor

Cheers, obvious when you think about it!

Well, except that the Trojans were the ones inside the wall, being attacked. I guess it wouldn't really be politically correct to call such programs "Greeks"...

Peter

Regardless of who was or wasn't being attacked, trojan is an abbreviated form of trojan horse, which to my knowlege, has never been called the greek horse. I suppose we'll have to take issue with the historians about that...

One way to look at it: The horse was presented as a gift. And once you accept a gift, it's yours. So, technically, the horse became the Trojans' horse.

"WHO leaps out?"
"Lancelot, Galahad, and I, leap out of... ... ..."
"Ohhhhh..."
"Look, if we built this large wooden badger..."