Gabrielle Hempel - Outbreak! Virus vs. Virus:
Channel: BSides Boston
Date: 2020-11-01

nCoV-19, the novel coronavirus, struck the world nearing the end of 2019 and is far from reaching its peak. Genetically related to SARS, it has been exhibiting a staggering spread rate due to asymptomatic viral shed. In the current age of almost worldwide quarantine and required isolation, unprecedented media frenzy has covered every stage of the outbreak and the subsequent response. This, in turn, has exposed a transparent planning and response model for analysis. The aim of this research was to study the manner in which a pandemic virus spreads in comparison to many of the malware campaigns we see and what the respective response frameworks look like. By investigating patterns, vectors, epidemiologic data, and casualties, the similarities between pandemic spread and the spread of malware can be drawn and compared. Building on both experiential and regulatory research, this talk asks what we can learn from the nCoV-19 and prior pandemic responses, and how the tactics observed in the ongoing pandemic can lend themselves to more effective cyber incident response and mitigation.