🛡️ Free practice test question from: Malware (Security+)

A rootkit is a sophisticated type of malicious software designed to provide unauthorized, privileged access to a computer system while actively hiding its existence from normal detection methods. The term "root" comes from Unix/Linux systems, referring to the administrative account with the highest level of system access.

Key Characteristics of Rootkits:

→ Stealth: Rootkits excel at concealing their presence from standard security tools and system administrators.

→ Privilege Escalation: They typically establish administrative or root-level access.

→ Persistence: Rootkits are engineered to maintain long-term, undetected access to the compromised system.

→ System Modification: They often modify core system files or kernel-level components to maintain control.

A) Trojan - While trojans can provide unauthorized access, they typically don't have the deep system integration and stealth capabilities of a rootkit.

C) Spyware - Primarily focused on collecting information, not establishing persistent administrative control.

D Worm - Designed to rapidly spread between systems, lacking the precise, targeted access mechanism of a rootkit.