Peter Szor takes you behind the scenes of anti-virus research, showing how they are analyzed, how they spread, and–most importantly–how to effectively defend against them. This book offers an encyclopedic treatment of the computer virus, including: a history of computer viruses, virus behavior, classification, protection strategies, anti-virus and worm-blocking techniques, and how to conduct an accurate threat analysis. The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense entertains readers with its look at anti-virus research, but more importantly it truly arms them in the fight against computer viruses. As one of the lead researchers behind Norton AntiVirus, the most popular antivirus program in the industry, Peter Szor studies viruses every day. By showing how viruses really work, this book will help security professionals and students protect against them, recognize them, and analyze and limit the damage they can do.