The Trojan Horse
Why do we call some malware 'trojans'? The answer lies in the story of the siege of Troy.
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When we talk about viruses, we really mean malware (of which viruses are a type). Years ago, malware had an almost mischievous side to it, with creative coders finding frivolous ways to access and inhabit users’ machines and then comically announce their presence like in Walker, where a graphic of a man plodding across the screen notified the victim they’d been hacked. Nowadays, however, malware is big business, with cyber criminals flooding the tech-sphere with newly developed nasties.
We’re far less likely to know if something malicious has been installed on our systems; malware can be more valuable for criminals if it’s hiding in the background, keeping track of our passwords or filming us through our webcams. Unless it’s ransomware, of course: which announces its arrival by demanding money from its victims.
By examining the role of Programmable Logic Computers, children will understand that so many of the things we rely on in our daily lives are run by computers, whether in factories, lifts, elevators or distribution centres. We ask them to consider the risks of malware getting into these automated systems.
Exploring the origin of the Trojan horse story and cyber Trojans will invite the young people to heed the importance of caution and the danger of bringing the gift inside the gates.
Viruses block up noses and shut down companies.
They spread, infect, disperse and grow.
A cold might mean a few days off school, but a computer virus could shut down an entire nuclear facility.
Viruses are just one type of malware, malicious software that can threaten the technology we rely on every day.
