RE: Keen to test out root kits

["Mike" <mike () coenholdings ie>]

Patrick

<snip>Is it safe to install rootkits on my lap-top.<snip>

My first question is, Is this a production system? (one you want to keep
secure) and if so why on earth would you wish to install them. Root-kits
and back-doors can be fun to play with and it can be very informative to
see what is possible, however there are never any circumstances under
which it is safe to install such things unless on an isolated test
system.

<snip>Is it not an opportunity for the writer to get back door access to
my 
lap-top / home network? <snip>

There are tools available for many of these kits to discover their
presence on a system and even break passwords etc for the purpose of
hijacking them from another cracker. A crackers dream is to get one of
these kits installed on a system and you are proposing to do that for
them. Even if you took the security steps provided by these kits you
cannot secure yourself from attack.

In short the answer is unless you are installing them on a test system
which is isolated from any other network with no critical information,
and you can wipe and reformat the system you would be mad to try.


Regards
Mike Molloy
IT Supervisor



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