The early (tweeting) Bird spreads the worm: An assessment of twitter for malware propagation

Ameya Sanzgiri; Jacob Joyce; Shambhu Upadhyaya

doi:10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090

The early (tweeting) Bird spreads the worm: An assessment of twitter for malware propagation

Ameya Sanzgiri
, Jacob Joyce
, Shambhu Upadhyaya

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

SUNY Buffalo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Social Networks have rapidly become one of the most used Internet based applications. The structure and ease of information dissemination provides an opportunity for adversaries to use it for their own malicious purpose. In this paper we investigate a popular social network - Twitter as a malware propagation medium. We present a basic model for Twitter-based malware propagation using epidemic theory. Our analysis shows that even with a low degree of connectivity and a low probability of clicking links, Twitter and its structure can be exploited to infect many nodes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	705-712
Number of pages	8
Journal	Procedia Computer Science
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090
State	Published - 2012
Event	3rd International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies, ANT 2012 and 9th International Conference on Mobile Web Information Systems, MobiWIS 2012 - Niagara Falls, ON, Canada Duration: Aug 27 2012 → Aug 29 2012

Keywords

Malware
Malware propagation
Model
Social networks
Twitter

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10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090

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title = "The early (tweeting) Bird spreads the worm: An assessment of twitter for malware propagation",

abstract = "Social Networks have rapidly become one of the most used Internet based applications. The structure and ease of information dissemination provides an opportunity for adversaries to use it for their own malicious purpose. In this paper we investigate a popular social network - Twitter as a malware propagation medium. We present a basic model for Twitter-based malware propagation using epidemic theory. Our analysis shows that even with a low degree of connectivity and a low probability of clicking links, Twitter and its structure can be exploited to infect many nodes.",

keywords = "Malware, Malware propagation, Model, Social networks, Twitter",

author = "Ameya Sanzgiri and Jacob Joyce and Shambhu Upadhyaya",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

pages = "705--712",

journal = "Procedia Computer Science",

issn = "1877-0509",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

note = "3rd International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies, ANT 2012 and 9th International Conference on Mobile Web Information Systems, MobiWIS 2012 ; Conference date: 27-08-2012 Through 29-08-2012",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The early (tweeting) Bird spreads the worm

T2 - 3rd International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies, ANT 2012 and 9th International Conference on Mobile Web Information Systems, MobiWIS 2012

AU - Sanzgiri, Ameya

AU - Joyce, Jacob

AU - Upadhyaya, Shambhu

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Social Networks have rapidly become one of the most used Internet based applications. The structure and ease of information dissemination provides an opportunity for adversaries to use it for their own malicious purpose. In this paper we investigate a popular social network - Twitter as a malware propagation medium. We present a basic model for Twitter-based malware propagation using epidemic theory. Our analysis shows that even with a low degree of connectivity and a low probability of clicking links, Twitter and its structure can be exploited to infect many nodes.

AB - Social Networks have rapidly become one of the most used Internet based applications. The structure and ease of information dissemination provides an opportunity for adversaries to use it for their own malicious purpose. In this paper we investigate a popular social network - Twitter as a malware propagation medium. We present a basic model for Twitter-based malware propagation using epidemic theory. Our analysis shows that even with a low degree of connectivity and a low probability of clicking links, Twitter and its structure can be exploited to infect many nodes.

KW - Malware

KW - Malware propagation

KW - Model

KW - Social networks

KW - Twitter

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84885396742

U2 - 10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090

DO - 10.1016/j.procs.2012.06.090

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:84885396742

SN - 1877-0509

VL - 10

SP - 705

EP - 712

JO - Procedia Computer Science

JF - Procedia Computer Science

Y2 - 27 August 2012 through 29 August 2012

ER -

The early (tweeting) Bird spreads the worm: An assessment of twitter for malware propagation

Abstract

Keywords

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