Inside the fight against malware attacks

When an attack is discovered, analysts work to get a copy of software that's present in target PCs

When malicious software attacks, computer scientists and security researchers want to know how the attackers got into what was supposed to be a secure system, and what they’re actually doing that’s causing problems for users. It’s a growing problem, affecting government projects, retail stores and individuals around the world.

However, fighting malware is a cyclical arms race: As defenders and analysts improve their methods, attackers step up their game, too. Today, as many as 80 percent of malware