Rootkits Red Glare
Anti-rootkit software is aims to rid one’s computer of pesky rootkits.
What is a rootkit?
A rootkit is a program designed by hackers in hiding itself in other programs, back doors and spyware on one’s computer. What it essentially does is hide the existence of malware on computers so that the unsuspecting user has no idea it is there.
It’s silent but dangerous. And supposedly there are more than 500,000 computers infected with a rootkit. And they don’t even know it. They turn on as the computer is still booting and are virtually undetectable.
Some rootkits remain on PCs for years.
Therefore, it’s no bad idea to become educated on this sort of antivirus software.
A really great book on rootkits is, “Rootkits for Dummies” (in the yellow and black dummy series of book out there.) Accompanying the book is also a CD for the purchaser to use a supplementary research tool on rootkits.
Some subjects covered in this book are:
* Identifying the types of rootkits
* Keeping one’s computer clean of rootkits
* Hunting out invasive software
* Protecting one’s system with regular updates
* Planning for recovery
* Recognizing when it’s time to start over and building from a psychological roadblock.
The back cover of, “Rootkits for Dummies” sums it up best:
Rootkits are diabolical, virtually invisible ways for someone to hijack your data, computer, or worse — your entire network. But never fear — this book reveals their ugly secrets and shows you exactly how to identify them, yank them out, repair the damage they’ve done, and set up defenses to keep new ones from taking root in your system.
The operative word being, “diabolical.”
Therefore, learning a little something or two about rootkits is a good thing for any computer user. Especially in this day and age when privacy is sacred and the economy questionable.