Computer Viruses: from theory to applications ... (ISBN 2287239391)

ab initio approach to viruses:
Filiol takes an ab initio approach to computer viruses. He gives a description rooted in the use of a Turing machine. But also using ideas from cellular automata research. The idea is to give a rigorous understanding of viruses, that is independent of any given hardware or software. A key theme is that the code be somehow able to reproduce. But the book is not just for a theorist. He also directs it towards the user who has to devise an antivirus detector. So source code for several different types of viruses are given (in C). This lets you get a hands-on approach to tackling the problem. Of course, not all possible viruses are covered. This may be a theoretical impossibility. But enough examples are given that you can confidently understanding much that is out there.

Nothing comparable out there like Filiol's set of books:
Highly advanced malicious software research is my field. There is simply no other rigorous treatment of computer viruses (the somewhat hard mathematics behind what is a 'virus') in book form on the market today. Lt. Col. Eric Filiol, a Math and CS professor and Research Scientist Officer at the Military Academies of Saint-Cyr (French equivalent of Westpoint), heads the Virology and Cryptology Lab (ESAT) in Rennes. Prof. Filiol is an internationally renown expert on cryptology and its strong but non-obvious links to virology. He is also the editor in chief of the premier academic journal devoted to virology, Journal In Computer Virology (Springer). The books is deep on theory fundamentals and formalization, in the French tradition of CS being subsumed by mathematics. Subsequent analysis of somewhat dated viruses (incl c source code) follows. A CD is included. Serious researchers with a background in automata theory will find this book especially useful. His second volume, Techniques virales avancees (available only in French as of May 2008) is even better. I recommend for the aspiring researcher in order of complexity Skoudis's "Malware" (loved counterhack reloaded), then Szor's "Art and Science" (Peter, when's the update coming out?), then Aycock's book and then both books by Filiol. Daniel Bilar

Cryptography oriented:
This is probably the best modern book on writing computer viruses in my opinion. But since there are really no modern books on writing computer viruses that's not saying a lot. I really wish I could have seen more C source code in this book (and not vbash etc.) and for it not to be so computer-virus course oriented. If your going to read this be prepared to go deep into Thereoms and Definitions. Note: this book assumes you have a decent experience with the subject (and many others). Otherwise if your just a programmer that doesn't know how to write vbash or traslate vbash to C or another language this book is a lot harder. Overall if you have a good cyrptography background this book will be very useful for you if you dont have a cryptography background check out my listamania list "C and Cryptography Guide" I would of gave it 3 1/2 or even 4 if I can change it.