Time bombs are a subcategory of logic bombs. A standard logic bomb detonates when a given event or condition happens, while a time bomb is a ticking bomb programmed to detonate at a predetermined time or date. A logic bomb must be triggered to detonate, whereas a time bomb will detonate regardless of the circumstances unless the code is halted.
Occasionally, the term “time bomb malware” refers to time bombs, albeit a misnomer. As with logic bombs, time bombs conceal themselves among various types of malware, although not technically malware. Though technically incorrect, the term “time bomb virus” is frequently used to refer to a virus that contains a time bomb.