Future Threats Are Coming Closer
Did you know that it is possible to hide spyware or a virus in a way that will fool even the traditional antivirus products?
Some spyware programs are already using so-called rootkits to hide deep in the system. And, virus authors are joining in. Learn more about the threat called rootkit.
The Cure - Innovative New Technology
Now, there is a cure, F-Secure BlackLight Rootkit Elimination Technology. And, it's time to find out, whether your computer is infected by invisible rootkits. Read more about this innovative counter-measure F-Secure BlackLightTM.
Download Beta Trial
Note: Stand-alone BlackLight beta's expiration has been extended until 1st of October. An integrated BlackLight engine will be included in F-Secure Internet Security 2006 suite. Coming soon. Click here to download the latest beta version
so what is a rootkit i hear you ask?
What is a rootkit?
The term rootkit is very old and is dated back to the days when UNIX ruled the world. Rootkits for the UNIX operating system were typically used to elevate the privileges of a user to the root level (=administrator). This explains the name of this category of tools.
Rootkits for Windows work in a different way and are typically used to hide malicious software from for example an antivirus scanner. Rootkits are typically not malicious by themselves but are used for malicious purposes by viruses, worms, backdoors and spyware. A virus combined with a rootkit produces what was known as full stealth viruses in the MS-DOS environment.
How dangerous is a rootkit?
The rootkit itself does typically not cause deliberate damage. Its purpose is to hide software. But rootkits are used to hide malicious code. A virus, worm, backdoor or spyware program could remain active and undetected in a system for a long time if it uses a rootkit.
The malware may remain undetected even if the computer is protected with state-of-the-art antivirus. And the antivirus can't remove something that it can't see. The threat from modern malware combined with rootkits is very similar to full stealth viruses that caused a lot of headache during the MS-DOS era. All this makes rootkits a significant threat.
looks good, i know there are many rootkit discovery tools available but they are usually targeting specific rootkits rather than a broader spectrum. i still bet there are loads of rootkits it wont find as many are very unique to the hacker.
