What is the primary function of Trojan horses in cybersecurity?

The primary function of Trojan horses in cybersecurity is to spy on the victim's computer and extract sensitive data. Trojan horses are malicious software that disguise themselves as legitimate applications or files to trick users into downloading and executing them. Once installed, they can perform a variety of harmful activities without the user's knowledge, including stealing personal information, login credentials, financial data, and other sensitive information.

This capability to infiltrate a system stealthily and gather information is what characterizes a Trojan horse's role in cybersecurity threats. Unlike other types of malware, such as viruses or worms, Trojans do not reproduce themselves; instead, they rely on social engineering to get users to inadvertently install them. Understanding how Trojan horses operate is crucial for developing effective cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data from being compromised.