Malware is Both a Capability and a Weapon

Malware is Both a Capability and a Weapon

Malware is malicious software designed to cause harm to computer systems (Vijayanand & Arunla, 2019). Therefore, malware is used to enable cybercrimes based on the type. Malware can be implemented as a capability and a weapon. As a capability, malware is used to identify and facilitate the exploitation of vulnerable points on a system (Vijayanand & Arunla, 2019). For example, malicious software would be used to provide a remote connection to a computer in a virtual environment; that is capability. After gaining remote access, malware is used as a weapon to exploit the system. This would be either to obtain confidential information from a system or to halt system operations, sabotaging an organization. Malware attacks that halt systems negatively impact the business operations of an organization. An example of such an attack is the denial of service attack (Vijayanand & Arunla, 2019).

A malware attack experienced in December 2021 by the Suffolk County Government is an example of malware as a capability and weapon (Nir & Schweber, 2022).  The attackers used malicious software to enable them to access a vulnerable point on the system. Once they gained access, they stayed in the system for months, collecting information. Therefore, the malware was used as a weapon to collect information from December 2021 to September 2022, when the attackers decided to let their presence known (Nir & Schweber, 2022). This led to the sabotage of the Suffolk County Government’s online system, which led to the use of a manual offline system. The county’s online system was later restored; however, it remains under continuous cybersecurity monitoring.  For example, the system has to be continuously scanned for malware and vulnerabilities. Any security risks found would be eliminated immediately before hackers exploit them.

References

Nir, S. M., & Schweber, N. (2022, December 21). Nytimes.com. The New York Times – Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/21/nyregion/suffolk-county-cyberattack.html

Vijayanand, C. D., & Arunla, K. S. (2019). Impact of Malware in Modern Society. Journal of Scientific Research and Development, 2(3), 593-600. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334130947_Impact_of_Malware_in_Modern_Society

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Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

Is malware a weapon, a capability, or both?
Explain and support your answer with at least 1 example.