computer viruses & malware

[...]... Trojan, depending on who's asked These programs allow a computer to be monitored and controlled remotely; users may deliberately install these to access a work computer from home, or to allow help desk 14 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE staff to diagnose and fix a computer problem from afar However, if malware surreptitiously installs a RAT on a computer, then it opens up a back door into that machine... that can be used by computer viruses too.-^ Traditionally, viruses can propagate within a single computer, or may travel from one computer to another using human-transported media, like a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or USB flash drive In other words, viruses don't propagate via computer networks; networks are the domain of worms instead However, the label "virus" has been applied to malware that would... describe the person who created the malware This book will use the comparatively bland terms malware author and malware writer to describe people who create malware; when appropriate, more specific terms like virus writer may be used too There's a distinction to be made between the malware author and the malware distributor Writing malware doesn't imply distributing malware, and vice versa, and there... inert with respect to your computers Even if it can't run, malware may carry an indirect liability risk if it passes through your computers from one target to another For example, one unaffected computer could provide a shared directory; someone else's compromised computer could deposit malware in that shared directory for later propagation It is prudent to look for threats to all computers, not just to... connection to the other three Malware may be propagated using spam, and may also be used to send spam; malware may take advantage of bugs; malware may be used to mount DoS attacks Addressing the problem of malware is vital for improving computer security Computer security is vital to our society's critical infrastructure 1.2 The Myth of Absolute Security Obviously we want our computers to be secure against... the malware author and distributor will be assumed to be the same person throughout this book, for simplicity Is a malware author a "hacker?" Yes and no The term hacker has been distorted by the media and popular usage to refer to a person who breaks into 22 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE computers, especially when some kind of malicious intent is involved Strictly speaking, a person who breaks into computers... a publicized malware incident Regardless of the business, a leak of proprietary information or customer data caused by malware could result in enormous damage to a company, no different than industrial espionage Any downtime could drive existing customers to a competitor, or turn away new, potential customers 4 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE This has been cast in terms of business, but malware presents... are fed by supply chains with computerized inventory systems; water is dispensed through computer- controlled water systems; parts for new shelters come from suppliers with computer- ridden supply chains, and old shelters are bought and sold by computer- wielding realtors The production and transmission of energy to run all of these systems is controlled by computer, and computers manage financial transactions... needs to be solved This book looks at malware, primarily viruses and worms, and its countermeasures The next chapter lays the groundwork with some basic definitions and a timeline of malware Then, on to viruses: Chapters 3, 4, and 5 cover viruses, anti-virus techniques, and anti-anti-virus techniques, in that order Chapter 6 explains the weaknesses that are exploited by malware, both technical and social... with malware, or analysis of malware, should be done in a secure environment designed specifically for that purpose While it's outside the scope of this book to describe such a secure environment - the details would 8 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE be quickly out of date anyway - there are a number of sources of information available ^^^ Another thing to consider is that creation and/or distribution of malware . X COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE 8.2.1 Honeypots 168 8.2.2 Reverse Firewalls 169 8.2.3 Throttling 170 8.3 Automatic Countermeasures 172 9. "APPLICATIONS" 177 9.1 Benevolent Malware. attack in progress 128 6.20 Canary placement 130 6.21 "It Takes Guts to Say 'Jesus'" virus hoax 136 6.22 "jdbgmgr.exe" virus hoax 137 7.1 A conversation with sendmail. customers. 4 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND MALWARE This has been cast in terms of business, but malware presents a cost to individuals, too. Personal information stolen by malware from a computer, such