Viewing biological and computer viruses as manifestations of games

TL;DR

This paper explores the analogy between biological and computer viruses using game theory, establishing correlations and proposing strategies to mitigate infections, with potential implications for both biological and cybersecurity fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective by modeling computer and biological viruses as manifestations of games, and suggests practical strategies for infection control based on this analogy.

Findings

Correlations between VirLock and bacteriophage φ6 established

Game theory applied to model viral behavior

Proposed strategies to reduce infection impact

Abstract

Computer viruses exhibit many similarities with biological viruses. Thus, a closer examination of this association might lead to some new perspectives and, even, to new enhanced capabilities that will facilitate the overall effort to tackle and, why not, eradicate them. Game theory has long been considered as a useful tool for modeling viral behavior. In this paper, we establish certain, important we hope, correlations between a well-known virus, namely VirLock, with the bacteriophage $\phi6$. Moreover, following this line of thought, we also suggest efficient and, at the same time, practical strategies that may significantly alleviate the infection problems caused by VirLock and any other virus having similar traits.