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Rootkit
Rootkit is a type of malware that gains administrator access to the host system. Once the
attacker gains access to the system, the rootkit often hides its presence while maintaining
special access to the system. The detection of rootkit is difficult as having special access to the
system, it bypasses the tracking software.
Backdoor
A backdoor is a method of bypassing normal authentication or security mechanisms in a
computer system, network, or software application to gain unauthorised access.
ANTIVIRUS
An antivirus program is software designed to detect the presence of a virus on a computer and
remove it.
There are several methods of eradication:
Removing the code in the infected file which corresponds to a virus.
Removing the infected file.
Quarantining the infected file, which involves moving it to a location where it cannot be
executed.
Informing the user about the presence of the malware and the action that has been taken.
Separating infected files and applications to prevent further spread of the infection.
Some well-known antivirus programs are Norton, AVG, McAfee, Symantec, Kaspersky, etc.
FIREWALL
The term ‘firewall’ originally referred to a wall intended to confine a fire or potential fire within a
building. In computer, a firewall is a software or hardware-based network security system that
controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on applied rule set. A firewall acts like
a gatekeeper and prevents unauthorised access to a computer network. It inspects every data
packet that arrives at the network and decides, based on a set of predefined rules, whether to
allow or block it. A firewall establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and
another network (for example, the Internet) that is not assumed to be secure and trusted.
Recap
Computer safety refers to the protection of computer-based resources against
unauthorised use or physical damage.
Authentication is the process of verifying a user’s identity before granting him or her
access to a computer system.
Computer Safety and Security 103

