Science Daily reports that biomimicry is playing a key role in upcoming computer security technology. By looking at the way ants call for backup and overpower invaders through sheer quantity of soldiers, security experts have devised a "digital ant" that will help human operators more quickly spot threats to computer systems.
Ants inspire new computer antivirus software
Scientists have studied the behaviour of ants to develop a new generation of antivirus software for computers.
Computer science professor Errin Fulp works with graduate students Brian Williams (center) and Wes Featherstun (far right), who worked this summer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developing a new type of computer network security software modeled after ants.
Computer security mimics nature
Unlike traditional security devices, which are static, these “digital ants” wander through computer networks looking for threats, such as “computer worms” — self-replicating programs designed to steal information or facilitate unauthorized use of machines. When a digital ant detects a threat, it doesn’t take long for an army of ants to converge at that location, drawing the attention of human operators who step in to investigate.
The concept, called “swarm intelligence,” promises to transform cyber security because it adapts readily to changing threats.
clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk
