What Is A Rootkit?

Rootkits have gotten a lot of press lately due to Sony's misguided use of rootkit technology to try and enforce copyright protection, which then led to malware that exploits the presence of the Sony rootkit. A Sony executive even had the audacity to say "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" Well, there may be a number of holes in that logic, but just to lay it to rest regardless, here is an explanation of what a rootkit is. Now that you know, you can begin to care. What Is A Rootkit?