Malware analysis is a complex task in which a researcher seeks to understand what actions a piece of malicious code performed and for what purpose. Understanding, analyzing, and investigating threats requires the implementation of methodologies, techniques, and tools depending on the case in question.
Types of Malware Analysis
There are three main types of Malware Analysis:
Static Malware Analysis
If you are passionate about reading and writing code with an emphasis on cybersecurity, static malware analysis is an ideal activity for you. It is a critical phase in understanding and predicting malware behaviors and developing defense systems.
Static malware analysis is a technique that offers several advantages, such as:
- Avoids the risk of infection.
- Makes it possible to predict and explain the behavior of a virus before its execution.
- Reveals the development techniques used by malware creators.
Dynamic Malware Analysis
Dynamic malware analysis is a technique constantly used in cybersecurity. Like static malware analysis, it refers to the execution of malware in a specially prepared virtual environment. These “environments” are computers or virtual machines known as sandboxes.
Some antivirus programs have sandbox tests, i.e., they allow files and applications to be automatically tested in virtual environments to determine whether they contain any malware.
Reverse Engineering
When we talk about Reversing malware, we refer to the study of a malicious code to identify:
- Exploits
- Attack Vector
- Level of infection
- Protection measures against this malicious program.
Antivirus companies are interested in reverse engineering malware because they want to keep their software up to date and need to learn more about new trends in malware design and viruses. Their engineers work in labs set up for this purpose. The engineer can infect a computer, see the software act, change parameters and deconstruct the software design. In addition to studying the raw code, the engineer may also be interested in seeing what the software does in various environments and how it changes over time.
How can QUANTUM INTRINSIX help you?
New malware is released daily making it dangerous to lose track. You must keep up to date on the different families and their evolutions. At QUANTUM INTRINSIX, we have a team specialized in malware analysis that is at your disposal to help you.
