How can you ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis during a network security incident?

Malware analysis is a crucial skill for network security professionals, especially during a security incident. However, analyzing malicious code can be challenging, time-consuming, and inconsistent if you don't follow a systematic approach. In this article, you'll learn how to ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis during a network security incident, using some best practices and tools.

1 Define your objectives

Before you start analyzing malware, you need to define your objectives and scope. What are you trying to achieve with your analysis? Do you want to identify the malware's functionality, origin, impact, or indicators of compromise? How deep do you want to go into the malware's code and behavior? How much time and resources do you have available? These questions will help you determine the level and type of analysis you need to perform, and avoid wasting time and effort on irrelevant or redundant tasks.

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Lulu G.

Doctoral Researcher
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Key practices to enable organizations to establish a robust and repeatable malware analysis framework for effective response to network security incidents include: 1. Develop detailed analysis procedures for various malware types and maintain a regularly updated SOP, employ a consistent set of malware analysis tools to ensure uniformity across analysts and incidents and automate routine tasks 2. Conduct malware analysis in isolated environments, utilize version control systems, create baseline configurations for analysis systems and maintain a repository of known good and bad samples for future analysis and training. 3. Integrate malware analysis procedures into the overall incident response plan, and conduct post-incident reviews.

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2 Choose your analysis methods

Depending on your objectives and scope, you can choose between two main methods of malware analysis: static and dynamic. Static analysis involves examining the malware's code, structure, and metadata without executing it. Dynamic analysis involves running the malware in a controlled environment and observing its behavior, network activity, and system changes. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and you should use them in combination to get a comprehensive view of the malware's capabilities and intentions.

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3 Prepare your analysis environment

To conduct malware analysis safely and effectively, you need to prepare your analysis environment according to your chosen methods. For static analysis, you need a set of tools that can help you disassemble, decompile, and inspect the malware's code and resources, such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, or PE Explorer. For dynamic analysis, you need a virtual machine or a sandbox that can isolate the malware from your network and system, and allow you to monitor and manipulate its execution, such as Cuckoo Sandbox, VMware Workstation, or VirtualBox. You also need tools that can capture and analyze the malware's network traffic, such as Wireshark, tcpdump, or Fiddler.

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4 Document your analysis process

One of the most important aspects of ensuring consistent and repeatable malware analysis is documenting your analysis process. You should keep a record of every step you take, every tool you use, every observation you make, and every conclusion you draw during your analysis. This will help you verify your findings, share your results, reproduce your steps, and improve your skills. You can use a standard template or a tool like Malware Analysis Report Tool (MART) to document your analysis process.

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5 Compare your results with other sources

Another way to ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis is to compare your results with other sources of information. You can use online databases, repositories, and platforms that collect and share malware samples, signatures, reports, and analyses, such as VirusTotal, MalwareBazaar, or Hybrid Analysis. You can also use threat intelligence feeds, blogs, forums, and publications that provide insights and updates on malware trends, campaigns, and actors, such as MITRE ATT&CK, Malwarebytes Labs, or FireEye Threat Research.

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6 Update your knowledge and skills

Finally, to ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis, you need to update your knowledge and skills regularly. Malware is constantly evolving and adapting to new technologies, defenses, and opportunities, and you need to keep up with the latest developments and techniques in the malware analysis field. You can use online courses, books, podcasts, and webinars to learn new skills and methods, such as Practical Malware Analysis, Malware Unicorn, or SANS FOR610. You can also participate in online communities, events, and challenges that can help you network and practice your skills, such as Malware Analysis for Hedgehogs, Malware Traffic Analysis, or Flare-On.

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Ammar Syafiq, CISSP

Team Lead - Voice at Stampede Solution - VOLARE®
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I've learned that staying updated with the latest malware trends and techniques is important for reliable analysis. Regularly explore emerging threats and innovative defence strategies through cutting-edge research papers and cybersecurity conferences. Hands-on experimentation in a controlled environment, like using honeypots to attract and study new malware types, is also part of my routine. This proactive approach, combined with peer collaboration and sharing insights on platforms like Flare-On, keeps skills sharp and analysis methods relevant in the world of cyber threats.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Carlo D.

Cyber Security Professional, CISSP
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consider DOM on client side, javascript malware alike, that can act as loader and repeat analysis considering sandboxe escape malware can implement, to not be analysed. Behavior of the malware can change also based on OS...consider that in the analysis variable and remember that new RUST/GoLang malware, at each compile can change hash

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How can you ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis during a network security incident?

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1 Define your objectives

2 Choose your analysis methods

3 Prepare your analysis environment

4 Document your analysis process

5 Compare your results with other sources

6 Update your knowledge and skills

7 Here’s what else to consider

Network Security

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How can you ensure consistent and repeatable malware analysis during a network security incident?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define your objectives

2 Choose your analysis methods

3 Prepare your analysis environment

4 Document your analysis process

5 Compare your results with other sources

6 Update your knowledge and skills

7 Here’s what else to consider

Network Security

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