Ants Vs. Worms — Computer Security Mimics Nature

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Help Net Security: "In the never-ending battle to protect computer networks from intruders, security experts are deploying a new defense modeled after one of nature's hardiest creatures — the ant. Unlike traditional security devices, which are static, these 'digital ants' wander through computer networks looking for threats ... When a digital ant detects a threat, it doesn't take long for an army of ants to converge at that location, drawing the attention of human operators who step in to investigate. 'Our idea is to deploy 3,000 different types of digital ants, each looking for evidence of a threat,' [says Wake Forest Professor of Computer Science Errin Fulp.] 'As they move about the network, they leave digital trails modeled after the scent trails ants in nature use to guide other ants. Each time a digital ant identifies some evidence, it is programmed to leave behind a stronger scent. Stronger scent trails attract more ants, producing the swarm that marks a potential computer infection.'"

Comments

I can defeat the ants

[t0qer]

I just gotta run..
%SystemRoot%\system32\magnify.exe

Re:I can defeat the ants

[adrianwn]

Just be careful you don't leave a honeypot lying around anywhere your ants will find it.

Re:I can defeat the ants

[Zalbik]

That only works if you have a Sun server.

Re:Obvious questions.

[buchner.johannes]

My idea for network security would be this:

Measure network traffic for a normal week or two, no limitations. Everyone should do the things they usually need to do. Ports, Types of traffic, etc. and Bandwidth is recorded.
Then the admin creates a firewall setting from that (hopefully automatically).
In the following weeks, differences to the behavior is measured, allowing the admin to extend or restrict the rules.

And it would have colorful buttons.

I'm looking for a new hobby

[Norsefire]

We've got Worms and Spiders, now Ants!? I'm going to have to find a new hobby; computing doesn't seem very entomophobiac-friendly.

Re:I'm looking for a new hobby

[The Archon V2.0]

We've got Worms and Spiders, now Ants!? I'm going to have to find a new hobby; computing doesn't seem very entomophobiac-friendly.

We started with bugs years ago. It was only a matter of time before everyone else moved in.

Re:ridiculous references

[Fred_A]

Obviously nothing is "traveling" inside your lan cable.

So why does your network crawl all of or sudden ?

Let's use another analogy

[turing_m]

The internet is a lady of ill repute. My approach to security when "connected" to the internet is like 3 layers (hardware firewall, running as unprivileged user, whitelisting javascript/flash) of prophylactic separated by 2 layers of Deep Heat (logging, and tripwire). If either of the outer layers are "breached", I get a prompt warning.

So... bugs?

[jamesh]

If I wanted 3000 bugs swarming inside my computer i'd run Windows.

Re:So... bugs?

[dissy]

If I wanted 3000 bugs swarming inside my computer i'd run Windows.

This is why, even with just one hard drive, I always load drivers for RAID.

just more bugs

[FatherDale]

Forget ants. Gimme a can of Raid.

Re:ridiculous references

[lewko]

Because hearing "Drunken cheerleader" and "virus" in the same sentence kinda spoils the fantasy.