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.
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ISBN-13
978-1-4471-1774-2 (9781447117742)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4471-1774-2
Schweitzer Klassifikation
1 Introduction.- 1.1 Preamble.- 1.2 What is a Computer Virus?.- 1.3 Worms: Networked Viruses.- 1.4 Terminology.- 2 Historical Perspectives.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 1960s: Early Rabbits.- 2.3 1970s: Fiction and the Worm.- 2.4 1980-1983: Genesis.- 2.5 1984-1986: Exodus.- 2.6 1987: Mac, Atari and Amiga Next.- 2.7 1988: Proliferation and Disbelief.- 2.8 1989: Reaction by the Community.- 2.9 1990: Organisation and Litigation.- 2.10 Summary.- 3 Theory of Viruses.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Addition of Viral Code.- 3.3 Detection of Viruses.- 3.4 Classes of Viruses.- 3.5 Thompson: and Trusting Trust.- 3.6 Biological Analogies.- 3.7 Quest for Life.- 3.8 Evolution: Genetic Algorithms.- 4 Operation of PC Viruses.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 PC Boot Sequence: Initialisation.- 4.3 BIOS and DOS.- 4.4 Master Boot Record.- 4.5 DOS Boot Sector.- 4.6 System Initialisation.- 4.7 Batch Processing Viruses.- 4.8 COM and EXE Viruses.- 4.9 Resident and Transient Viruses.- 4.10 Manipulation by Viral Code.- 4.11 Activation Criteria.- 4.12 Camouflage.- 4.13 Replication.- 5 Management of PC Viruses.- 5.1 Perspective on Security.- 5.2 Components of a Virus Control Scheme.- 5.3 Prevention of Virus Attack.- 5.4 Detection of Viral Code.- 5.5 Containment of Viral Code.- 5.6 Recovery from Viral Infection.- 5.7 Contingency Planning.- 5.8 Remedial Action.- 6 Apple Macintosh Viruses.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Macintosh: The Abstract Operating System.- 7 Mainframe Systems: The Growing Threat.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Hardware Architectures.- 7.3 Software Architecture.- 7.4 UNIX: A Viral Risk Assessment.- 8 Network Viruses: The Worms.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Standardisation.- 8.3 History of Network Pests.- 8.4 Internet Protocols.- 8.5 OSI: Security in the Making.- 8.6 DECNET: Insecurity Through Default.- 9Reactions of the IT Community.- 9.1 Discussion and Advice.- 9.2 Legislative Issues.- 9.3 Professionalism and Software Development.- 10 Conclusions: The Future Ahead.- Appendices.- 1 DOS Filestore Structure.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Master Boot Record.- 1.3 DOS Boot Sector.- 1.4 File Allocation Table.- 1.5 Root Directory.- 2 Low Level Disk Layout.- 3 EXE File Format.- 4 Mac Filestore Structure.- 5 PC Virus Relationship Chart.- 6 Macintosh Virus Relationship Chart.- 7 PC Boot Sequence.- 8 AIDS Trojan: Accompanying Licence.- 9 Software Infected at Source.- 10 Nomenclature.- 10.1 Types of Virus.- 10.1.1 Master Boot Sector Viruses.- 10.1.2 DOS Boot Sector Viruses.- 10.1.3 Executable COM/EXE Viruses.- 10.1.4 Memory Resident Viruses.- 10.1.5 Overwriting Viruses.- 10.1.6 Prepending Viruses.- 10.1.7 Appending Viruses.- 10.2 Generations of Virus.- 10.3 Classes of Anti-virus Product.- 11 UNIX Boot Sequence.- 12 CERT Press Release.- 13 CERT/CIAC Advisories.- 14 Contact Points.- 15 Abbreviations.- 16 Further Reading.- 17 Virus-1 Archive Sites.- 18 Relative Frequencies of IBM Viruses.
