Investigating Malware Propagation and Behaviour Using System and Network Pixel-Based Visualisation

Abstract

AbstractMalicious software, known as malware, is a perpetual game of cat and mouse between malicious software developers and security professionals. Recent years have seen many high profile cyber attacks, including the WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks that resulted in major financial damages to many businesses and institutions. Understanding the characteristics of such malware, including how malware can propagate and interact between systems and networks is key for mitigating these threats and containing the infection to avoid further damage. In this study, we present visualisation techniques for understanding the propagation characteristics in dynamic malware analysis. We propose the use of pixel-based visualisations to convey large-scale complex information about network hosts in a scalable and informative manner. We demonstrate our approach using a virtualised network environment, whereby we can deploy malware variants and observe their propagation behaviours. As a novel form of visualising system and network activity data across a complex environment, we can begin to understand visual signatures that can help analysts identify key characteristics of the malicious behaviours, and, therefore, provoke response and mitigation against such attacks.