A backdoor is nothing more than a “backdoor” that allows undisturbed access to a computer system quickly and easily
A backdoor can be installed by a system administrator to quickly enter a device to perform remote maintenance operations, or, in the worst case scenario, by hacker-controlled malware to take complete control of a system without the user’s knowledge.
The term backdoor is well known by geeks, fans of movies and TV shows that deal with computer systems and science fiction – like the Matrix – or those who have followed the events of the diatribe between Apple and the FBI for control of the iPhone of the author of the San Bernardino massacre in late 2015. The Bureau, in fact, had asked Cupertino to create a backdoor in iOS to access the information encrypted in the bomber’s phone. Apple refused and so the FBI turned to a company that specializes in this type of operation.
Why a backdoor can be dangerous
Even when created with the best of intentions, more often than not, backdoors are exploited by cybercriminals to sneak inside computer systems of all kinds. One example of this is the recent “case” involving WhatsApp: according to security researchers, in fact, the encryption system present in the app had a dangerous backdoor that would allow anyone to intercept and read the conversations of unsuspecting users. Even when using antivirus and antimalware, it is not certain that these “ordinary” security systems are able to close this “ghost” backdoor.
How the backdoor works
While the purpose of a backdoor is to allow quick, fast and undisturbed access to a computer system, it is also designed to operate in the shadows, escaping the control of antivirus, versatile enough to be able to exploit the doors opened by other more than legitimate programs. That is why it tries to hide in the sea of system files, assuming names and sizes that are inconspicuous enough to make a user suspicious. Who would ever delete a system file? But, all it takes is a remote command from some cybercriminal to turn this seemingly harmless file into a privileged access route to the system. What are backdoors for, you ask? Una volta scoperte, permettono praticamente di tutto: dal controllo su tutti i processi attivi a quello sulla webcam, mouse e tastiera. Sempre che l’hacker non decida di reclutarlo come “bot” per usarlo – all’insaputa dell’utente – in un attacco DDoS o di altro genere.
Come difendersi dagli attacchi hacker
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