The evolution of rootkits and why they're here to stay

Rootkits, those sneaky bits of software that lurk deep inside a system in order to give access to hackers, have been around since the late 1980s. A new study from Positive Technologies takes a close look at how they have evolved in recent years and just how much of a threat they present. Positive Technologies has carried out a large-scale study of rootkits used by hacker groups over the past decade, starting in 2011. The results show that in 44 percent of cases, cybercriminals used rootkits to attack government agencies. Slightly less frequently (38 percent), rootkits were used to attack… [Continue Reading]