Which type of malware is used to trick the victim into performing a predefined action?

The correct answer is Trojan Horse. This type of malware is designed to deceive users by masquerading as a legitimate program or file. The term “Trojan Horse” originates from the ancient Greek tale, where a deceptive wooden horse was used to infiltrate the city of Troy. Similarly, in computing, a Trojan can appear as harmless software while secretly performing malicious actions in the background.

Trojan Horses rely heavily on social engineering tactics to trick users into executing them. Once the user is deceived into running the program, it can carry out predefined malicious actions, such as stealing sensitive data, installing additional malware, or providing unauthorized access to an attacker. This manipulation highlights the importance of user awareness and caution when downloading software or clicking on links, as the success of such malware greatly depends on the user's lack of suspicion.

In contrast, ransomware is primarily designed to encrypt the victim's files and demand a ransom for their recovery. Rootkits focus on gaining unauthorized access and maintaining control over a system, often hiding their presence from standard detection methods. Backdoors allow remote access to a system, often created to bypass regular authentication methods. Each of these types of malware operates under different mechanisms and goals, but Trojan Horses specifically target user behavior to achieve their malicious outcomes.