Patent ID: 8086835

Claim:
An external rootkit detection and remediation tool comprising: external static memory with an input/output (I/O) port interface to an external I/O port on a target computing platform; a boot image disposed in the external static memory; and, rootkit detection and remediation logic disposed in the external static memory and referenced by the boot image, the external rootkit detection and remediation tool being configured to: perform bootstrap of the target computing platform through the boot image in the external static memory; perform rootkit detection on the target computing platform by executing at least one rootkit detection process; detect a rootkit component in the target computing platform; remove the detected rootkit component in the target computing platform; initiate bootstrap for the target computing platform in a fixed storage of the target computing platform; mount the external static memory read-only; receive an encrypted form of an update for the external static memory; verify the update; and, apply a decrypted form of the verified update to the external static memory.