What is the difference between a backdoor and a rootkit? Is there even a difference?

Question

As far as I can tell, both involve gaining unauthorized access, but what is the exact difference?

In: 7

Answer 1

A root kit is a software package installed on a computer to subvert security and gain administrative or root access to a computer.

A back door is an entrance to a building that is located on the opposite side of the building as the primary entrance.

For a computer, a back door is a flaw in the software that can be exploited to gain access from a remote connection without authentication. It does not require a software package to be installed.