Epidemic Response Model for Malware Defense on Computer Networks

Abstract

The Internet came with serious security vulnerabilities. Now, malicious individuals may gain unauthorized access to protected resources and disrupt network services by using malicious software, also known as malware. Most malware rapidly self-propagate within a network like an infectious disease. The classical epidemic model has been applied to study malware epidemics in computer networks. This study adapted the Susceptible-InfectedSusceptible (SIS) epidemic model to design a defense response model for computer networks and analyse the model obtained using a game theoretic approach of the attacker and defender. The model presented divided a network of fixed population into two compartments modelled with an ordinary differential equation that incorporated the strategies of the attacker and defender. Differential games were formulated and solved based on this model to derive optimal responses to malware epidemics. The SIS epidemic model established could aid optimal decisions for malware defense on computer networks.

Modelling Malicious Attack in Social Networks

“…An infectious host had been infected and can infect other susceptible host. In cases where recovery from the infection confers immunity, hosts that recover are said to be removed, since they would not be susceptible to infection after recovery (Aderinola, Thompson, & Alese, 2017).…”