Malware and Cybercrime
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary goal of an Advanced Persistent Threat?

  • To display pop-up ads on a victim's browser
  • To break into new machines remotely
  • To generate new malware using a variety of supplied propagation and payload mechanisms
  • To compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a target's data or system (correct)

    • What is the purpose of a Downloader?

  • To exploit a browser vulnerability on a client system
  • To install other malware on a compromised system (correct)
  • To remove malware from a compromised system
  • To bypass normal security checks on a system

    • What is a Backdoor (trapdoor)?

  • A type of advertising integrated into software
  • A type of malware used to break into new machines remotely
  • A set of tools for generating new malware
  • A mechanism that bypasses normal security checks on a system (correct)

    • What is the primary method of attack used in a Drive-by Download?

    <p>Exploiting a vulnerability in a browser to attack a client system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Adware?

    <p>Advertising integrated into software</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an Auto-rooter?

    <p>Malicious hacker tools used to break into new machines remotely</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of malware uses macro or scripting code embedded in a document to run and replicate itself?

    <p>Macro Virus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a Rootkit?

    <p>To set of hacker tools used after an attacker has broken into a computer system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of malware appears to have a useful function, but also has a hidden and potentially malicious function?

    <p>Zombie, Bot</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of malware carries out a denial-of-service (DoS) attack by generating a large volume of data?

    <p>Flooder</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of malware collects information from a computer and transmits it to another system?

    <p>Spyware</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of malware is inserted into a system and lies dormant until a predefined condition is met, then triggers an unauthorized act?

    <p>Logic Bomb</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of optimizing the spread of a worm?

    <p>To locate as many vulnerable machines as possible in a short time period</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of using functionally equivalent instructions and encryption techniques in worms?

    <p>To adopt polymorphic techniques</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the ideal payload for a worm to spread rapidly?

    <p>Malicious payloads including spyware and spam email generators</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the benefit of exploiting a zero-day vulnerability?

    <p>It achieves maximum surprise and distribution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was significant about the year 2015 in the context of zero-day exploits?

    <p>It was the year with 54 zero-day exploits discovered, significantly more than in previous years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of metamorphic worms?

    <p>They have a repertoire of behavior patterns unleashed at different stages of propagation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A malware that replicates itself by attaching to other executable machine or script code is classified as a

    <p>Virus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between a worm and a virus?

    <p>Worms are independent, self-contained programs, while viruses need a host program</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a malware that does not replicate itself?

    <p>Trojan</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of an attack kit?

    <p>To develop and deploy malware</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)?

    <p>They are well-resourced, persistent, and targeted attacks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a virus's infection mechanism?

    <p>To spread the virus to other programs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a virus that attaches itself to documents and uses the macro programming capabilities of the document's application to execute and propagate?

    <p>Macro virus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a worm that spreads through electronic mail or instant messenger facilities?

    <p>E-mail worm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a worm's target discovery mechanism?

    <p>To scan for other systems to infect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a worm that uses a list of potential vulnerable machines to infect?

    <p>Hit-list worm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of ransomware attacks like WannaCry?

    <p>To demand a ransom payment in exchange for restoring access to encrypted files</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for programs that can be executed on multiple platforms with identical semantics?

    <p>Mobile code</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary mechanism used by drive-by-downloads to infect systems?

    <p>Exploiting browser and plugin vulnerabilities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of phishing attacks?

    <p>To steal sensitive information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a set of hidden programs installed on a system to maintain covert access to that system?

    <p>Rootkit</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of host-based behavior-blocking software?

    <p>It can block malware in real-time before it has a chance to affect the system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a malicious program that replicates itself by sending copies to other devices via Bluetooth or MMS?

    <p>Mobile phone worm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of sandbox analysis?

    <p>To detect malware by running it in a controlled environment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of perimeter scanning approaches?

    <p>They can detect malware at the network boundary, preventing it from entering the system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of ideal malware countermeasure approaches?

    <p>To prevent malware from being installed in the first place</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Malware

    • Malware is a program that is inserted into a system, usually covertly, with the intent of compromising the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the victim's data, applications, or operating system.
    • Types of malware:
      • Virus: a piece of software that infects programs, modifies them to include a copy of the virus, and replicates itself.
      • Worm: a computer program that can run independently and propagate a complete working version of itself onto other hosts on a network, usually by exploiting software vulnerabilities.
      • Trojan: a program that appears to be legitimate but is actually malicious, allowing unauthorized access to a system or data.
      • Bot: a malware that allows remote control of a compromised system.

    Virus

    • Components:
      • Infection mechanism: means by which a virus spreads or propagates.
      • Trigger: event or condition that determines when the payload is activated or delivered.
      • Payload: what the virus does (besides spreading).
    • Phases:
      • Dormant phase: virus is idle and will eventually be activated by some event.
      • Triggering phase: virus is activated to perform the function for which it was intended.
      • Propagation phase: virus places a copy of itself into other programs or into certain system areas on the disk.
      • Execution phase: function is performed.

    Worm

    • Exploits software vulnerabilities in client or server programs to spread from system to system.
    • Can use network connections to spread from system to system.
    • Can spread through shared media (USB drives, CD, DVD data disks).
    • Types of worms:
      • E-mail worms: spread through email attachments or instant messaging.
      • Instant messaging worms: spread through instant messaging services.

    Malware Propagation

    • Mechanisms:
      • Infection of existing content by viruses.
      • Exploit of software vulnerabilities by worms.
      • Social engineering attacks.
    • Target discovery:
      • Scanning: searching for other systems to infect.
      • Hit-list: using a list of potential vulnerable machines.
      • Topological: using information contained on an infected victim machine to find more hosts to scan.

    Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

    • Well-resourced, persistent application of a wide variety of intrusion technologies and malware to selected targets.
    • Typically attributed to state-sponsored organizations and criminal enterprises.
    • Characteristics:
      • Advanced: using a wide variety of intrusion technologies and malware.
      • Persistent: determined application of the attacks over an extended period.
      • Targeted: careful target selection and stealthy intrusion efforts.

    Malware Countermeasures

    • Approaches:
      • Prevention: policy, awareness, vulnerability mitigation, and threat mitigation.
      • Detection: identifying malware through various techniques (e.g., signature-based, behavior-based).
      • Removal: removing malware from a system.
      • Sandbox analysis: running potentially malicious code in an emulated sandbox or on a virtual machine.
      • Host-based behavior-blocking software: integrates with the operating system and monitors program behavior in real-time for malicious action.### Types of Malware
    • Exploits: Code specific to a single vulnerability or set of vulnerabilities
    • Flooders (DoS client): Used to generate a large volume of data to attack networked computer systems, carrying out a denial-of-service (DoS) attack
    • Keyloggers: Capture keystrokes on a compromised system
    • Logic bomb: Code inserted into malware by an intruder, lying dormant until a predefined condition is met, triggering an unauthorized act
    • Macro Virus: A type of virus that uses macro or scripting code, typically embedded in a document, triggered when the document is viewed or edited, to run and replicate itself into other documents

    Malware Categories

    • Mobile Code: Software (e.g., script, macro, or other portable instruction) that can be shipped unchanged to a heterogeneous collection of platforms and execute with identical semantics
    • Rootkit: Set of hacker tools used after attacker has broken into a computer system and gained root-level access
    • Spammer: Programs used to send large volumes of unwanted e-mail
    • Spyware: Software that collects information from a computer and transmits it to another system by monitoring keystrokes, screen data, and/or network traffic; or by scanning files on the system for sensitive information

    Malware Behavior

    • Zombie, bot: A computer program that appears to have a useful function, but also has a hidden and potentially malicious function that evades security mechanisms
    • Worms: Penetrate systems in various ways, using exploits against Web servers, browsers, e-mail, file sharing, and other network-based applications; or via shared media
    • Worm propagation: Optimize rate of spread to maximize likelihood of locating vulnerable machines in a short time period
    • Worm evasion: Use virus polymorphic technique to evade detection, skip past filters, and foil real-time analysis
    • Metamorphic worms: Have a repertoire of behavior patterns that are unleashed at different stages of propagation

    Worm Technologies

    • Transport vehicles: Worms can rapidly compromise a large number of systems, making them ideal for spreading malicious payloads
    • Zero-day exploit: Exploit an unknown vulnerability, achieving maximum surprise and distribution, with 54 zero-day exploits discovered and exploited in 2015

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    Description

    This quiz covers types of malware, including Trojan horses and adware, as well as advanced persistent threats and cybercrime targeting businesses and political organizations.

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