Managed Code Rootkits

Chapter 1 Introduction

Information in this chapter

• The Problem of Rootkits and Other Types of Malware

• Why Do You Need This Book?

• Terminology Used in This Book

• Technology Background: An Overview

Malware is software designed to perform malicious activities on victims' machines without their consent. Attackers use malware to spy on their victims, control their machines, steal sensitive information, and even make their victims' machines act as bridges to internal networks. Rootkits are a type of malware originally designed to allow attackers to manipulate important parts of the UNIX operating system so that they could gain administrative (root) access to a victim's machine. But rootkits have evolved, and today they're targeted at such layers ...