Which term describes a long-term, targeted cyber threat?

• A. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)
• B. Trojan Horse
• C. Worm
• D. Virus

Answer: (A)

Think about threats that stay hidden in a system for a long time while focusing on a specific target. An Advanced Persistent Threat describes a coordinated attacker or group that maintains a foothold inside a network, using customized tools and techniques to avoid detection and to harvest data over months or even years. That mix of prolonged presence and targeted focus is what defines it. A Trojan Horse, by contrast, is malware that tricks users into running it, often enabling initial access but not necessarily designed for long-term stealth or a tailored target. A worm is self-replicating and spreads quickly across networks, prioritizing propagation over remaining hidden or targeted. A virus attaches to legitimate code and needs execution to spread, but it doesn’t inherently imply sustained, targeted intrusion. So the term that best fits a long-term, targeted cyber threat is an Advanced Persistent Threat.