The “kernel” is the nerve center of any computer system. It manages communications between a computer’s hardware and software. In a machine’s pecking order, the kernel is at the very top, allowing anyone with secret access to it to take full control of the device. The kernel also forms a powerful blind spot for most security software, allowing attackers to do what they want, unnoticed, and remain there for months, years even, regardless of how vigilant their victim is at installing software patches and updates. Spies coined a name for these attacks: “The race to the bare metal.”
