Be afraid, be very afraid!
Rootkits are a new generation of powerful system-monitoring programs.
Security researchers are warning about a new generation of powerful system-monitoring programs, or “rootkits,” that are almost impossible to detect using current security products and could pose a serious risk to corporations and individuals.
The word “rootkit” came to public awareness in the 2005 Sony CD copy protection controversy, in which Sony BMG music CDs placed a rootkit on Microsoft Windows PCs.
What is a rootkit?
A rootkit is a piece of software that can be installed and hidden on your computer without your knowledge. It may be included in a software package to take advantage of a vulnerability on your computer.
Why are they considered threats?
Rootkits are hidden, so you won’t know that they are there. Also root kits are intended to hide other code such as spyware or bots, or conceal processes running in Windows systems, conceal files or system data, and help an intruder maintain access to a system without the user’s knowledge. Rootkits are known to exist for a variety of operating systems such as Linux, Solaris and versions of Microsoft Windows. A computer with a rootkit on it is called a rooted computer. Not all rootkits are malicious, but most hide malicious activities. Attackers may be able to access information, monitor your actions, modify programs, or perform other functions on your computer without being detected.
There are a lot of companies now using root kits to do damage to computers. Sony was just the first to get caught.
One easy way to find out if your system has root kits is to follow the suggestions of TechTV and TwitTV’s Leo Laporte “the tech guy”. Leo said on this week in tech that a good tool to use to see if you have rootkits on your computer is to use SysInternals.com’s rootkit revealer.
What do I do if I find rootkits installed on my computer?
Good question.
Microsoft Says Recovery from Malware Becoming Impossible
By Ryan Naraine of baselinemag.com
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—In a rare discussion on the severity of the Windows malware scourge, a Microsoft security official said businesses should consider investing in an automated process to wipe hard drives and reinstall operating systems as a practical way to recover from malware infestation.
“When you are dealing with rootkits and some advanced spyware programs, the only solution is to rebuild from scratch. In some cases, there really is no way to recover without nuking the systems from orbit,” Mike Danseglio, program manager in the Security Solutions group at Microsoft, said in a presentation at the InfoSec World conference here.
