Malware and Antivirus Procedures

The last decade has witnessed the dramatic emergence of the Internet as a force of inter-organizational and inter-personal change. The Internet and its component technologies, which continue to experience growing global adoption, have become essential facilitators and drivers in retailing, supply chain management, government, entertainment, and other processes. However, this nearly-ubiquitous, highly-interconnected environment has also enabled the widespread, rapid spread of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other malicious code. Malware is becoming more sophisticated and extensive, infecting not only our wired computers and networks, but also our emerging wireless networks. Parallel to the rise in malware, organizations have developed a variety of antivirus technologies and procedures, which are faced with more challenging tasks to effectively detect and repair current and forthcoming malware. This article surveys the virus and antivirus arena, discusses the trends of virus attacks, and provides solutions to existing and future virus problems (from both technical and managerial perspectives).