A rootkit is a type of malicious software that gives the hacker "root" or administrator access to your network. They are activated before your system's operating system has completely booted up, making them extremely difficult to detect. Rootkits allow hackers to install hidden files, processes, and hidden user accounts. Hackers can use them to open back doors in order to intercept data from terminals, connections, and keyboards. A rootkit hacker can gain access to your systems and stay there for years, completely undetected.
Learn from respected security experts and Microsoft Security MVPs how to recognize rootkits, get rid of them, and manage damage control.
Accompanying the book is a value-packed companion CD offering a unique suite of tools to help administrators and users detect rootkit problems, conduct forensic analysis, and make quick security fixes.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Welcome to Rootkits For Dummies, a book written for regular folks who need a better understanding of what rootkits are, what we can do to protect our computers and networks against them, and how to detect and remove them. Like Sergeant Schultz on Hogan’s Heroes, you may be among those who know “nothing, nothing” at all about them. Even the name rootkit may be unfamiliar to you — but soon everyone with a computer and Internet access will know how dangerous these malware programs can be.
First, a bit of myth-busting: Rootkits have a scary reputation — just because they’re designed to escape detection by ordinary methods, supposedly they can’t be seen or extracted. For most of them, that’s balderdash. Rootkits are an extraordinary bit of deviance, to be sure, but they can be detected — and removed — using tools developed specifically for those tasks. You may still need the help of an expert, but cleaning out those nasty beasties is possible. Rootkits For Dummies can help you gain insight into the realm of malware, giving you the knowledge and abilities to assess and develop your own plan to prevent this scourge from ruining your day (or week, or year). Whether you have a standalone computer or have a business network to run as an administrator, this book will show you what you can do about rootkits — and help you secure your system against cyber-criminals and all malware, online and off.
You are about to begin a journey from the basics of malware in general to the complex processes of rootkits. We are your guides, with you every step of the way, as you move toward greater computer security competency. We have done our best to provide the most effective tools available, and we’ve left markers along the path so you won’t get lost. In short, this book is both your passport and roadmap to a new beginning in the never-ending saga of Internet security.
