The research branch of the US military is investing in systems that can automatically detect and dismantle botnets before they are activated by their operators to attack companies or websites.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency signed a $1.2 million contract on Aug. 30 with package forensics, a company specialising in cyber security. Packet Forensics is being asked to create a self-service program that will detect hidden armies of infected computers, mobile and IoT devices and more.
To "build" the hackers their botnets, they must first infect malware devices connected to the internet, and then manage them through a C&C server that sends the commands. But because such viruses remain dormant for some time, users rarely know that their computer, mobile phone or other device may be infected.
So now the company is being asked to create a system capable of detecting and disabling entire botnets, without the user ever knowing.
The operational plan of the programme, which has been in place since 2017, is divided into 3 different areas. Firstly, there will be a system that will identify botnets present on the internet. Then come the tools, which will be used to transfer special software to systems that have been identified as being infected by botnets, and this will be done through known vulnerabilities. Finally, the software that has been passed through the security holes will be executed, and will disable the functions of the Malware.
These 3 steps will be executed through a system that can detect, and disable, each botnet. Still, since this system will only target infected systems by botnets (and ideally disable them before they are activated), device users will be able to use their devices without detecting any difference.
