A method and system in a computing device for performing security related functions as part of a process created to execute a software component that may be unrelated to security is provided. The security system provides security code that performs one or more security related functions. When a process is created to execute the code of a software component, the security system causes the security code to be executed before the execution of the code of the software component. One security related function of the security code may be to cause the operating system to maintain information about the process as long as the process exists. If the operating system later reports that the process no longer exists but the information is still being maintained, then the security system can assume that malware is attempting to hide the process.