6 Critical Steps to Protect Yourself From Rootkits

Rootkits are becoming the weapon of choice of nation-state-supported threat actors looking to stay under the radar of security detection solutions and persist undetected in systems.

Techopedia, with the help of industry experts, tackles the new and increasingly growing trend of rootkits — it is a slight David vs. Goliath battle against actors with almost unlimited resources.

Here are six critical steps to fighting back, with particular attention on how to detect and shut down rootkit attacks.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 1. Know your Rootkits
3. 2. Monitor Suspicious Network Traffic and Execution of Processes
4. 3. Plan for Espionage, Not for Cyberattacks
5. 4. Where to Monitor: Where Nation-state Threat Actors Hide Rootkits Today
6. 5. Forget Silver Bullets & Build a Holistic Framework to Combat Rootkits
7. 6. Intelligence Sharing and Collaboration
8. The Bottom Line
9. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 1. Know your Rootkits
3. 2. Monitor Suspicious Network Traffic and Execution of Processes
Show Full Guide
4. 3. Plan for Espionage, Not for Cyberattacks
5. 4. Where to Monitor: Where Nation-state Threat Actors Hide Rootkits Today
6. 5. Forget Silver Bullets & Build a Holistic Framework to Combat Rootkits
7. 6. Intelligence Sharing and Collaboration
8. The Bottom Line
9. References

1. Know your Rootkits

The recently released August 12, Sygnia rootkit guide lists the top nation-state actors engaging in rootkit attacks and details how rootkits are serving modern espionage.

For example, Ghost Emperor, a China-linked threat group first discovered operating in the wild in 2021 but later dropped off the grid for years, re-emerged in 2024. Ghost Emperor’s new attack technology is once again based on rootkits that drive advanced stealth and evasion.

Other groups, like the infamous APT28 (aka Fancy Bear) — a Russian threat group that runs espionage campaigns against Western governments, political organizations, and critical infrastructure, also use rootkits due to their potential.?

Rootkits’ versatility and strength present evident benefits for hackers. Rootkits can be standalone malware or integrated into malware such as infostealers or spyware. Rootkits may also operate at the lowest level of the operating system (Kernel-Mode Rootkits), infect the system’s boot process to gain control before the operating system loads (Bootloader Rootkits), and even be embedded in the device’s hardware (Firmware Rootkits).

Rootkits can also be user-mode rootkits and hypervisor rootkits. Hypervisor rootkits hide in virtual environments and virtual machines, an extremely popular technology used extensively for its isolation potential.

The first step towards combating advanced nation-state rootkits is to know the different types. Knowing this will allow organizations to move on to the next steps, including being familiar with what type of traffic and activity each rootkit generates and what elements of the system it hides in.

2. Monitor Suspicious Network Traffic and Execution of Processes

Given the power rootkits have, what should organizations be doing to protect their systems from these unique risks?

Dor Nizar, malware researcher at Sygnia, and Amir Sadon, Director of Institutional Research Research at Sygnia, spoke to Techopedia and answered the question.

“We believe that the most effective way is to detect system anomalies such as suspicious network traffic or unusual files and process execution as well as monitoring for suspicious behavior surrounding the possible rootkits — as a rootkit does not operate in a ‘vacuum'”.

As Sygnia experts explained, organizations must prioritize the detection of system anomalies. This includes closely monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns or suspicious activity and monitoring file and process execution behaviors.

By identifying these anomalies, organizations can increase their chances of detecting rootkit activity before it causes significant damage.

3. Plan for Espionage, Not for Cyberattacks

Monitoring network traffic and process execution can be very much like looking for a needle in a haystack without having any clue about what type of needle you are looking for or the possible locations it may be in.

Fortunately, the nature of rootkit attacks or campaigns that use rootkits provides us with plenty of clues.

Common cybercriminals, fraudsters and scammers, hacktivists, and even transnational cybercrime ransomware syndicates do not care for rootkits. Their motive is money and rapid illegal financial gains. These types of cybercriminals use a guerrilla-style method of attack. They hit fast and hard and leave the system rapidly, leaving as few digital traces as possible behind.

In contrast, hackers who use rootkits have a very different agenda and game plan. They usually belong to, partner with, or are connected to nation-state groups or government intelligence agencies. Their main goal is to get their hands on as much information as possible — in simple words, espionage.

Cyberespionage requires persistence, the capability to remain hidden inside a system with full access to its resources for long periods of time (months to even years).

How does knowing all this help security teams search for rootkits? Ransomware groups and DDoS attackers use different vectors, go for different resources and execute different processes than cyberespionage actors. Understanding this helps security teams identify the processes and signals that are linked to rootkits.

4. Where to Monitor: Where Nation-state Threat Actors Hide Rootkits Today

Not only should organizations monitor traffic and processes linked to the nature of cyberespionage campaigns, but knowing specifically where to look for that information is vital. Nizar and Sadom from Syngia broke it down for us and spoke about where threat actors are hiding rootkits today.

“Rootkits have evolved from basic kernel-mode rootkits that operate within the operating system’s kernel space to more? sophisticated rootkits that operate within the bootloader level (bootkit) or even within the hypervisor layer.”

The types of rootkits Sygnia experts refer to are integrated deeply into the system’s core components. They live far away from the more front-facing environments where modern security technologies are usually deployed to fight cybercriminals.

What technologies can be used to monitor these specific environments? Etay Maor, Chief Security Strategist at Cato Networks, a cloud networking and security company, speaking to Techopedia answered the question.

“Modern defenses must include complete network visibility, advanced threat hunting, and AI-driven anomaly detection to stay ahead of these evolving threats.”

5. Forget Silver Bullets & Build a Holistic Framework to Combat Rootkits

Like most modern threats, rootkits demand a holistic approach. There is no single technology or sole course of action that can by itself prevent rootkits from taking over. To keep an organization one step ahead of nation-state rootkits they must design integral frameworks for rootkit threat mitigation that englobes several components — including recovery plans. Synia experts weigh in like this:

“Besides the regular and obvious means and measures to maintain cyber security hygiene, organizations should enforce strict access controls, utilize secure boot processes, apply regular software updates, and employ advanced monitoring tools.”

“Additionally, rapid and thorough incident response and recovery plans are crucial to swiftly isolate, contain and mitigate all risks once a suspicious activity is detected and an incident emerges.”

“Rootkits are only detected by advanced behavioral analysis, memory forensics, and integrity checks conducted at the kernel level,” Craig Birch, Principal Security Engineer at Cayosoft, a global independent software vendor dedicated to management, monitoring, and recovery, told Techopedia.

Birch explained that it is also possible to detect a rootkit if integrity checks are implemented at regular intervals and any baseline detailing the system in its normal state is maintained.

“Very effective is memory forensics, which can be applied for detecting rootkits that are housed within the volatile memory. Taking all of these approaches together could raise an organization’s rootkit detection capability to a whole new level,” Birch said.

6. Intelligence Sharing and Collaboration

Industry-wide collaboration is essential in the fight against advanced persistent threats like rootkits. Shared intelligence, along with public disclosures of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) activities, tools, and methods, leads to quicker identification of new threats and the development of countermeasures that can be rapidly disseminated across the cybersecurity community.

Birch from Cayostoft spoke to Techopedia about the issue.

“Intelligence sharing is crucial to developing more effective detection mechanisms, including new signatures, identifying new network traffic patterns, advanced system and memory analysis.”

“If this information is not shared within the industry, this will lead to more rootkit attacks and longer dwell times, ultimately increasing the effectiveness of the attacker,” Birch said.

The Bottom Line

Rootkits are here to stay and their capabilities and usage are only expected to increase. As organizations continue to aim their guns at ransomware, DDoS, and data breaches, they often leave a blind spot or an open door through which nation-state threat actors can seed rootkits.

Cyber espionage threats can live in a system for years and derive immense value for bad actors who may use the data to extort, pressure, steal, launch more attacks, and control systems and resources.

If your company works with any sector related to the government or a government agency or its supply chain and is connected to the international geopolitical threat environment, planning for rootkit mitigation is critical. We have previously explored this in more detail as new U.S. vendor security rules come into play.