Obfuscation: The Hidden Malware

Philip O'Kane; Sakir Sezer; Kieran McLaughlin

doi:10.1109/MSP.2011.98

Obfuscation: The Hidden Malware

Philip O'Kane, Sakir Sezer, Kieran McLaughlin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

93 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A cyberwar exists between malware writers and antimalware researchers. At this war's heart rages a weapons race that originated in the 80s with the first computer virus. Obfuscation is one of the latest strategies to camouflage the telltale signs of malware, undermine antimalware software, and thwart malware analysis. Malware writers use packers, polymorphic techniques, and metamorphic techniques to evade intrusion detection systems. The need exists for new antimalware approaches that focus on what malware is doing rather than how it's doing it.

Original language	English
Article number	12267650
Pages (from-to)	41-47
Number of pages	7
Journal	IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine
Volume	9
Issue number	5
Early online date	04 Aug 2011
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/MSP.2011.98
Publication status	Published - Oct 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Computer Networks and Communications
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Law

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10.1109/MSP.2011.98

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1 Finished

R1118ECI: Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT)
McCanny, J. V., Cowan, C., Crookes, D., Fusco, V., Linton, D., Liu, W., Miller, P., O'Neill, M., Scanlon, W. & Sezer, S.
01/08/2009 → 30/06/2014
Project: Research

Cite this

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Obfuscation: The Hidden Malware

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

R1118ECI: Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT)

Cite this