Book Image

Malware Science

By : Shane Molinari
Book Image

Malware Science

By: Shane Molinari

Overview of this book

In today's world full of online threats, the complexity of harmful software presents a significant challenge for detection and analysis. This insightful guide will teach you how to apply the principles of data science to online security, acting as both an educational resource and a practical manual for everyday use. Malware Science starts by explaining the nuances of malware, from its lifecycle to its technological aspects before introducing you to the capabilities of data science in malware detection by leveraging machine learning, statistical analytics, and social network analysis. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll explore the analytical methods of reverse engineering, machine language, dynamic scrutiny, and behavioral assessments of malicious software. You’ll also develop an understanding of the evolving cybersecurity compliance landscape with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, and gain insights into the global efforts in curbing cyber threats. By the end of this book, you’ll have a firm grasp on the modern malware lifecycle and how you can employ data science within cybersecurity to ward off new and evolving threats.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
1
Part 1– Introduction
Free Chapter
2
Chapter 1: Malware Science Life Cycle Overview
4
Part 2 – The Current State of Key Malware Science AI Technologies
8
Part 3 – The Future State of AI’s Use for Malware Science
11
Chapter 8: Epilogue – A Harmonious Overture to the Future of Malware Science and Cybersecurity
Appendix

Behavior-based malware detection

It is widely understood that signature-based detection and behavior-based malware detection serve as complementary pillars in a robust cybersecurity framework. While signature-based methods are quick and efficient for identifying known threats via a database of malware signatures, they lack the flexibility to adapt to new, “zero-day” threats and sophisticated malware that can change its code to evade detection. In contrast, behavior-based malware detection fills these gaps by being a proactive approach that focuses not on the malware’s code structure, but on its actions when executed. It monitors for suspicious activities, anomalous behaviors, or policy violations such as keystroke logging, unauthorized system access, data theft, and network traffic manipulation.

By watching out for these activities, behavior-based detection can potentially identify and block even zero-day attacks, which are new and unknown to signature-based...