During the week of February 17, 2005, Microsoft Corporation security experts cautioned about a new group of system-monitoring programs, or kernel rootkits, that are nearly impossible to detect using present-day security products. This new generation of rootkits therefore pose a serious security challenge to companiesÂ’ systems. Going by names such as Hacker Defender, FU, and Vanquish, these rootkits not only can snoop but also may be creating a whole new group of spyware and worms that can wreak havoc on systems. Experts further feared that online criminal groups would find these to be of extreme interest as a means to commit cyber crimes.

See Also: Administrator; Remote Access; Trojan.