Malware Analysis: An In-Depth Guide for Security Professionals and Information Management Professional Engineer Exam Preparation

Malware Analysis: Essential Skills for Information Security Experts

In the information security landscape, malware constantly evolves, posing a significant threat to systems and data. A deep understanding and analytical skills related to malware are essential not only for candidates preparing for the Information Management Professional Engineer exam but also for developers and engineers responsible for information security in the field. This post covers the core concepts, latest trends, and practical application methods of malware in detail to contribute to strengthening capabilities as an information security expert.

Technical diagram related to malware analysis — Photo by Lorem Picsum on picsum

Malware Analysis: Core Concepts and Operational Principles

Malware analysis can be divided into static analysis and dynamic analysis. Static analysis involves analyzing the file structure, strings, and code without executing the malware. Dynamic analysis involves executing the malware in an isolated environment and observing changes to the system.

1. Static Analysis

Basic information about the malware is identified through PE header analysis, string extraction, and disassembly of the malware. For example, if a specific string is encrypted, you can research how to decrypt that string.

2. Dynamic Analysis

Execute the malware in a Virtual Machine or Sandbox environment and monitor registry changes, file system changes, and network communications. This allows you to understand the actual behavior and infection paths of the malware.

3. Behavioral Analysis

Analyze what actions the malware performs on the system. It is used to detect and block malicious activities such as file creation, registry modification, and network connection attempts.

Latest Malware Technology Trends

Recent malware attacks are becoming more intelligent. AI-based malware bypasses existing signature-based detection methods, and ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated, encrypting core corporate data and attempting to gain significant financial benefits. In addition, cases of inserting malware during the software development phase through supply chain attacks are increasing.

AI-Based Malware: Leverages Machine Learning (ML) technology to bypass existing detection techniques.
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS): Lowers the barrier to entry for ransomware attacks.
Mobile Malware: Increased attacks targeting mobile payment systems.
Supply Chain Attacks: Malware insertion during the software development phase.

Cybersecurity technology visualization — Photo by Lorem Picsum on picsum

Practical Code Example: Extracting Malware Strings (Python)

The following is a simple example of extracting strings from a malware file using Python. This code is the first step in malware analysis and can help identify the characteristics of the malware.


import re

def extract_strings(file_path):
    with open(file_path, 'rb') as f:
        content = f.read()
    strings = re.findall(b'[\x20-\x7e]{4,}', content)
    return [s.decode('utf-8', errors='ignore') for s in strings]

file_path = 'malware.exe'  # Path to the malware file to analyze
strings = extract_strings(file_path)

for s in strings:
    print(s)

This code extracts strings of 4 or more characters belonging to the ASCII character range (0x20 ~ 0x7e) from a given file. The re.findall function finds all strings matching the regular expression and returns them as a list. The errors='ignore' option ignores and handles decoding errors.

Industry-Specific Practical Application Cases

Financial Industry

Financial institutions detect and prevent threats such as phishing attacks and account theft through malware analysis. Malware analysis plays a key role in strengthening the security of financial transaction systems and protecting customer assets.

Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturers protect production facilities and technical information from threats such as industrial espionage and production system paralysis through malware analysis. Malware analysis is essential to ensure the stability of manufacturing processes and maintain corporate competitiveness.

Government Agencies

Government agencies respond to threats such as attacks on national infrastructure and leakage of confidential information through malware analysis. Malware analysis plays an important role in strengthening national security and protecting public safety.

Expert Insights

💡 Technical Insight

✅ Checkpoints When Introducing Technology: When introducing a malware analysis system, it is necessary to continuously update the latest malware samples and conduct education programs to improve the proficiency of analysts. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the ability to respond to threat information by establishing a system for sharing and collaborating on analysis results.

✅ Lessons Learned from Failure Cases: Analyze cases of damage caused by past malware attacks and prepare preventive measures to prevent similar attacks from occurring. In particular, it is important to periodically check system vulnerabilities and promptly apply security patches.

✅ Technology Outlook for the Next 3-5 Years: AI-based malware detection technology is expected to develop further, and malware analysis in Cloud Computing environments will become more important. In addition, as the Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) security model spreads, the method of verifying all users and devices without trust will become more common.

Ransomware attack visualization — Photo by Lorem Picsum on picsum

Conclusion

Malware analysis is an essential skill for information security experts and an important evaluation factor in the Information Management Professional Engineer exam. Familiarize yourself with the core concepts, latest trends, and practical application methods covered in this post, and improve your malware analysis skills through continuous learning and practice. It will enable you to respond to ever-evolving security threats and contribute to building a secure information security environment.