Root-kits are a relatively new threat on the modern Internet and no other company has a better root-kit removal tool than F-Secure and their “Blacklight” utility. What exactly is a root-kit you ask? Here’s a definition from Wikipedia to help get you started:

A root-kit is a program (or combination of several programs) designed to take fundamental control (in Unix terms “root” access, in Windows terms “Administrator” access) of a computer system, without authorization by the system’s owners and legitimate managers. Access to the hardware (ie, the reset switch) is rarely required as a root-kit is intended to seize control of the operating system running on the hardware. Typically, root-kits act to obscure their presence on the system through subversion or evasion of standard operating system security mechanisms. Often, they are also Trojans as well, thus fooling users into believing they are safe to run on their systems. Techniques used to accomplish this can include concealing running processes from monitoring programs, or hiding files or system data from the operating system.

The Blacklight utility is very easy to install and use. The actual root-kit scan will take approximately 30 minutes to an hour to complete. Follow the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page to download Blacklight for free.

dixlinx: F-SECURE.COM

Tags: , Security, spyware removal, Utilities