Tuesday 20 November 2007

Backdoors and Rootkits

A backdoor is a way of accessing a computer without going through the normal access routines, such as entering a name and password. It can be installed by a virus or sometimes even by legitimate programs.
This is closely related to another type of attack known as a rootkit, which is used to conceal programs or files to help hackers avoid detection. A rootkit can be used to open a backdoor, allowing hackers into a system. An example of a virus that installs a backdoor is the MyDoom worm, created to send junk mail from infected computers.
One of the most famous rootkits was installed when a copy-protected Sony CD was played on a computer.

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