How would you feel if someone had access to your computer without you knowing it? Unfortunately, this is possible with a rootkit, which can be installed within different types of products and used to remotely control a device.

A rootkit is a program designed to provide hackers with administrative access to your computer without you knowing.

Where a rootkit comes from

Rootkits can be installed in many ways, including through commercial security products and seemingly safe, third-party application extensions. Rootkits can't spread by themselves, but instead are one component of blended threats.

How to recognize a rootkit

Detecting rootkit-like behavior can be tedious work. When searching your system memory, monitor all ingress points for invoked processes, keeping track of imported library calls (from DLLs) that may be hooked or redirected to other functions. If you want to be sure there is no rootkit on your PC, you can use a PC scanner (e.g., the free Avast antivirus & anti-malware tools).

How to remove a rootkit

Antivirus software is able to detect rootkits and rootkit-like behavior. When scanning for rootkits, most programs will suspend any rootkits, but deleting the rootkits themselves usually has to be done manually.

How to prevent rootkits

Use updated antivirus software and firewall protection.

Protect yourself against rootkits

There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent rootkits than to use an antivirus & antirootkit tool, and the best anti-virus & anti-rootkit tool is Avast.