Which term describes a malware technique that hides its presence on a system while giving attackers ongoing access?

• A. Rootkits
• B. Keyloggers
• C. Trojans
• D. Worms

Answer: (A)

Rootkits are designed to hide their presence on a system while granting attackers ongoing access. They achieve stealth by concealing files, processes, and network activity, often by modifying kernel routines or using sophisticated hooking methods so security tools and administrators can’t readily detect them. This combination—being hard to see and still maintaining a backdoor into the system—lets an attacker maintain control over the compromised machine over time. For contrast, a keylogger focuses on recording keystrokes rather than hiding itself and preserving access; a trojan pretends to be legitimate software but isn’t inherently about covert persistence; and a worm spreads to other systems, with the primary goal of propagation rather than staying hidden to sustain access.