14.1.11 Lab – Anatomy of Malware (Instructor Version)
Instructor Note: Red font color or gray highlights indicate text that appears in the instructor copy only.
Objectives
Research and analyze malware.
Background / Scenario
Malware, or malicious software, refers to a variety of malicious software programs that can be used to cause harm to computer systems, steal data, and bypass security measures. Malware can also attack critical infrastructure, disable emergency services, cause assembly lines to make defective products, disable electric generators, and disrupt transportation services. Security experts estimate that more than one million new malware threats are released each day. McAfee Labs Threats Report 2019 indicates the discovery of new ransomware techniques, the exposing of billions of accounts through high profile data dumps, significant HTTP web exploitation, defects in Windows, Microsoft Office, and Apple iOS, and continued attacks on IoT personal devices. Find the most current version of the report by doing a web search for McAfee Labs Threats Report.
Note: You can use the web browser in virtual machine installed in a previous lab to research security related issues. By using the virtual machine, you may prevent malware from being installed on your computer.
Required Resources
- •PC or mobile device with internet access
Instructions
Conduct a Search of Recent Malware
a. Using your favorite search engine, conduct a search for recent malware. During your search, choose four examples of malware, each one from a different malware type, and be prepared to discuss details on what each does, how it each is transmitted and the impact each cause.
Examples of malware types include: Ransomware, Trojan, Hoax, Adware, Malware, PUP, Exploit, Exploit Kit and Vulnerability. Search for malware by visiting the following websites using the following search terms:
- McAfee Threat Center Threat Landscape Dashboard
- Malwarebytes Labs Threat Center (Top 10 Malware)
- Securityweek.com > virus-threats > virus-malware
- Technewsworld.com > security > malware
b. Read the information about the malware found from your search in the previous step, choose one and write a short summary that explains what the malware does, how it is transmitted, and the impact it causes.
