Rootkits, which can be considered one of the hackers’ most effective weapons, are starting to be a lot more common on the Internet. What once use to be only something for *nix-based machines has made its way to the Windows family. With the potential of literally infecting any and all files on a machine, there is no question that hackers will start migrating to rookits in more of their attacks.

Virus programmers seem to know no limits when it comes to creative ways of making the Internet unsafe. Rootkits, originally programmes designed to help computer administrators, are the current bugbear for security firms trying to prevent them from sneaking worms, trojans, and viruses past anti-virus programs.

There is no stock recipe for detecting malware. Virus authors work hard to stay ahead of their pursuers. To close that gap, most anti-virus programmes perform what are known as heuristic scans to look for general virus behaviour patterns.[more]

Tags: Hackers, Malware