Back Orifice (often shortened to BO) is a computer program designed for remote system administration.

It enables a user to control a computer running the Microsoft Windows operating system from a remote location.

[3] The program debuted at DEF CON 6 on August 1, 1998 and was the brainchild of Sir Dystic, a member of the U.S. hacker organization Cult of the Dead Cow.

Although Back Orifice has legitimate purposes, such as remote administration, other factors make it suitable for illicit uses.

For those and other reasons, the antivirus industry immediately categorized the tool as malware and appended Back Orifice to their quarantine lists.