If you are seeing these symptoms on your computer, then you are likely infected with a dangerous rootkit virus.
There are several types of malicious code that can reach our computer and affect its operation in one way or another. Among them we find the so-called rootkit, which we will talk about below.
Many of you may not know what kind of malware we are talking about now. Before we talk to you about the symptoms by which we will detect this specific type of malware, we should know it more deeply or at least know what we are facing.
Well, it is important to keep in mind that a so-called rootkit is a series of malicious computer programs designed to gain access to our computer and hide. They are usually hidden from users and system processes, while at the same time giving attackers access, with administrator permissions, to the machine.
Basically, we can say that rootkits are tools that provide privileged access to the kernel of an operating system. Once integrated into the software, they open a virtual backdoor for cyber attackers. Thus, they will have the opportunity to remotely enter our computers to perform various malicious actions. This includes dangerous actions such as stealing personal data or destroying system files. In addition, they are responsible for installing other types of malware or recruiting our computers to be part of an army of botnets.
A rootkit can also enable denial-of-service or DDoS attacks, where your computer is overwhelmed with requests so that it can’t perform its normal functions. Similarly, some attackers use this malware to hijack your device’s webcam and microphone.
- Common symptoms of infection with this malware
Once we know what we are facing when we are infected with a rootkit, it is important to know how to detect it, which is not always easy. One of the main goals of this malware is to go completely unnoticed. But if we are attentive, we can spot some of these symptoms and then try to get rid of this malware as quickly as possible.
Because rootkits are designed to stay hidden, they can be difficult to detect. The longer they stay on your computer, the more damage they can do. Some people are able to disable security software, giving them extra cover for their actions. These are its main symptoms.
- Blue shots of death.
One of the reasons for rootkits can be the dreaded Windows errors that suddenly appear on the system. These are errors that completely block the computer and force us to reboot every now and then.
- Decreased system performance.
If we find a significant drop in operating system performance, we should also be skeptical. Constant crashes and heavy usage of both the processor and RAM can also be added to this slower speed.
- Changes to system settings and permissions.
We may also encounter some changes in the Windows configuration. For example, the antivirus deactivates itself, we find different wallpapers and screensavers, the taskbar hides and more.
- The internet is working slowly.
Likewise, we may be infected with a rootkit if we see that websites are loading increasingly slowly, and browsing the Internet becomes unbearable.
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