What is a rootkits?

last updated in Categories

A rootkit is a:

  • Set of software tools
  • Used by a an intruder
  • Installed by an intruder after gaining access to a computer system
  • They hides:
  • Logins
  • Other processes
  • Files, and logs etc from user

Rootkits 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.

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin, DevOps engineer, and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix and open source topics via RSS/XML feed or weekly email newsletter.