GreenSalamanderCS's post
Project Idea: Malware Detection System
Ever wanted to know the basics of building a program that can detect malware?
Ever intrigued by how malware detection applications like Malwarebytes & McAfee work?
Well, in this post, we will explain the purpose of a malware detection system, introduce 3 frameworks for you to build your own prototype malware detection system & the reason for the frameworks.
Purpose
Malware detection systems improve cybersecurity & protect against cyber attacks.
Frameworks & Algorithms
Frameworks
- React: This framework is used for building the client-side user interface. This is what is shown to the user.
- Express.js & Node.js: This framework is used for building the logic for the server-side.
- MongoDB: This framework is used for database management & data storage. In this database, we will need to store the result of the malware scans, metadata & signatures of the software. That way, we can easily distinguish which software is malware & which ones are not. A database management system is used to improve the effectiveness of the program.
Algorithms
- Signature-based Detection: Using MongoDB, you can scan the signature of the program in question against the entire database. Flag known codes as malware. The efficacy of this algorithm will depend on how sophisticated the malware in question, is.
- Heuristic Detection: Using React, Node.js & Express.js, you can look for patterns & behaviors in a file which indicate whether or not it is malware. Key malware tell-tale signs include whether it attempts to hide itself or modify system files. This is slightly more accurate than the signature-based algorithm, however, it can flag non-malware software as malware.
- Behavioral Detection: Using React, Node.js, Express.js & MongoDB, network traffic & system resources are monitored to detect whether a certain software is malware or not.
It is advisable to use a combination of at least one or more of the above three algorithms to build the most effective malware detection system.
You may use resources like ChatGPT to learn these frameworks more quickly.