Study on Malware and Ransomware Attack Techniques

Abstract

Much like their biological counterparts, digital computer viruses have existed since the inception of functional digital computers themselves. Malware is a piece of rogue code that has instructions to perform tasks which were otherwise not intended or even expected to have been working on a digital computer. Malware is a broad domain and has a rich variety. Each of such a variety can do a specific type of damage. Every variety also has its own attack techniques to achieve a particular malicious goal, designed by its creator. Some use macros while some other malware will act as Potentially Unwanted Programs that get downloaded with the modified free software users want to download for free from unreliable sources. Malware attack techniques are used in conjunction with other evasion techniques such as code obfuscation, session splitting and untimely standby, fragmentations, application and protocol level exploits and bypasses and many more. The aim of this review paper was to review how Ransomware malware behaves and what are its mechanisms. The evasion techniques help malware creators deliver the malicious payload directly to the target while managing to bypass obstructions such as Antivirus programs, Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems, Network Detection Systems and many more. Precise and in-depth understanding of such techniques will help developers prepare robust solutions against such adversaries.