An Overview of Computer Viruses in a Research Environment

Citation

• M. Bishop, “An Overview of Computer Viruses in a Research Environment”, Technical Report PCS-TR91-156, Dept. of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (1990).

Paper

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• Official copy (Dartmouth)

Abstract

The threat of attack by computer viruses is in reality a very small part of a much more general threat, specifically attacks aimed at subverting computer security. This paper examines computer viruses as malicious logic in a research and development environment, relates them to various models of security and integrity, and examines current research techniques aimed at controlling the threats viruses in particular, and malicious logic in gerneral, pose to computer systems. Finally, a brief examination of the vulnerabilities of research and development systems that malicious logic and computer viruses may exploit is undertaken.