Back door

Back door (also known as a trap door or secret passage) is a method of bypassing normal authentication or encryption in a computer system, a product, or an embedded device (e.g., a home router), or its embedded software. Back doors are often used for securing unauthorized remote access to a computer, or obtaining access to plaintext in cryptographic systems.

Overview

A back door may take the form of an installed program (e.g., Back Orifice) or could be a modification to an existing program or hardware device. The threat of back doors surfaced when multiuser and networked operating systems became widely adopted. Petersen and Turn discussed computer subversion in a paper published in the proceedings of the 1967 AFIPS Conference. They noted a class of active infiltration attacks that use "trap doors" to enter the system and that any system to prevent them must be necessarily complex and not widely used.

Types of Back Doors

Back doors can be classified into two types, namely server-side and client-side back doors.

Server-side back doors are installed on a server and provide access to the server's resources. They can be used to gain unauthorized access to data, execute commands, or install additional software.

Client-side back doors are installed on a client device and provide access to the device's resources. They can be used to monitor user activity, steal personal information, or control the device remotely.

Security Implications

Back doors pose a significant security risk. They can be exploited by malware, hackers, or other unauthorized users to gain access to systems or data. This can lead to data theft, system damage, or other negative consequences.

To mitigate the risk of back doors, it is important to use strong authentication methods, regularly update software and hardware, and use security software such as firewalls and antivirus software.

See Also

• Computer security
• Cybersecurity
• Malware
• Authentication
• Encryption