This book provides information on malware - its growth, evolution, and countermeasures to combat it - presenting new research into the economic incentives driving cyber-security decisions, and suggestions on how to address the problem.

Our Internet-connected society increasingly relies on computers. As a result, attacks on computers from malicious software have never been a bigger concern. Computer Viruses and Malware draws together hundreds of sources to provide an unprecedented view of malicious software and its countermeasures. This book discusses both the technical and human factors involved in computer viruses, worms, and anti-virus software. It also looks at the application of malicious software to computer crime and information warfare. Computer Viruses and Malware is designed for a professional audience composed of researchers and practitioners in industry. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for advanced-level students in computer science.

The 1980's saw the advent of widespread (and potentially damaging) computer virus infection of both personal computer and mainframe systems. The computer security field has been comparatively slow to react to this emerging situation. It is only over the last two years that a significant body of knowledge on the operation, likely evolution and prevention of computer viruses has developed. A Pathology of Computer Viruses gives a detailed overview of the history of the computer virus and an in-depth technical review of the principles of computer virus and worm operation under DOS, Mac, UNIX and DEC operating systems. David Ferbrache considers the possible extension of the threat to the mainframe systems environment and suggests how the threat can be effectively combatted using an antiviral management plan. The author addresses the latest developments in "stealth" virus operations, specifically the trend for virus authors to adopt extensive camouflage and concealment techniques, which allow viruses to evade both existing anti-viral software and to avoid detection by direct observation of machine behaviour. A Pathology of Computer Viruses addresses a distinct need - that of the computer specialist and professional who needs a source reference work detailing all aspects of the computer virus threat.

Essay from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, University of Hamburg (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: Since the beginning of the internet age in the early 1980s, people have not merely been concerned with keeping the internet free from viruses. In point of fact, some people wreak havoc on the internet by creating and spreading nasty and disastrous computer viruses. Hence, the so-called hackers cause mayhem and destruction in the net. It is a fact that computer viruses cause great damage because they can pass from one computer to another like a biological virus, thus infecting the system. Hence, a computer virus can be regarded as the undesirable embodiment of human intelligence to interrupt and to create a vacuum in the constant flow of internet information. What is more, the history of the computer virus is laced with the human need to be recognized. Thus, many research projects show that the majority of virus creators crave public acknowledgement. However, there are many other reasons why people try to spread computer viruses. Nonetheless, all hackers can be seen as dangerous and harmful, being indifferent to the consequences of spreading viruses to themselves and to others. In the following, I will concentrate on the phenomenon of computer viruses. Therefore, I will focus on the reasons why computer viruses were brought to life, discussing the history of the computer virus and the effects it has taken on our society. It is a fact that hackers not only use viruses, worms and Trojan horses to cause a loss of information but also to gain control over remote systems and the information stored on these systems. For this reason, I will not only concentrate on the way the virus affects our everyday life but also on the effects it has in the business sector.