Windows 8 Secures Boot Process

Changes to the Windows boot process to be introduced with Windows 8 will make starting the OS more resistant to attack from malware (malicious software). In contrast to changes designed to make the boot process faster, which should work on most computers, the safest Windows 8 boot process requires computers with new and trusted firmware, trusted OS and antimalware software, and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Both consumers and organizations will benefit from a more secure Windows that can conceivably be part of new systems that require a higher level of attestation or trustworthiness.

Boot as an Attack Vector

The changes are designed to make the Windows 8 boot process safer, and address more sophisticated attacks, particularly by rootkits targeting the OS. The boot process initializes the hardware, loads the OS, and prepares the computer to run applications when a computer is turned on. A rootkit, which can also be called a bootkit when it attacks the boot process in an attempt to compromise encrypted disks, is malicious software that hides its presence from antimalware software and system management utilities that detect running processes by infecting the kernel-level components of the OS. Rootkit threats can become persistent when they compromise the boot process so that the malware loads and runs each time the computer starts.