1 Malware Detection and Analysis: Challenges and Research Opportunities Zahid Akhtar Department of Network and Computer Security, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, USA. Email:
[email protected] Malwares are continuously growing in sophistication and hobbyists and cyber-offenders trying to show their ability numbers. Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been by causing havoc and to steal information potentially for achieved in anti-malware mechanisms. However, several pressing monetary gains, respectively. They are popularly known as issues (e.g., unknown malware samples detection) still need to be addressed adequately. This article first presents a concise hackers, black hats and crackers, and could be external/internal overview of malware along with anti-malware and then sum- menace, industrial spies or foreign governments. Malwares marizes various research challenges. This is a theoretical and can be used to change or erase data from victim computers, perspective article that is hoped to complement earlier articles to collect confidential information, or to hijack systems in and works. order to attack other devices, send spams, host and share illicit contents, bring down servers, penetrate networks, and cripple critical infrastructures. I. INTRODUCTION Consequently, a broad range of tools and schemes have Use of personal computers and mobile devices coupled been devised to detect and mitigate malware attacks [1]. Anti- with internet has now become integral part of everyday life. malware systems thwart malwares by determining whether This ubiquity of high interconnectivity has prompted many given program has malign intent or not [4]. Despite great serious privacy and security menaces as well as different advancement of malware defense techniques and their inces- other malicious activities.