Can Cryptography Prevent Computer Viruses?

John F. Morar, David M. Chess
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center

The paper discussed about the advantages and disadvantages of cryptography in protection against viruses and other malicious programs. How can virus use encryption itself to spread faster with more protection and the ways encryption could be very helpful. They have defined in the paper the different modes used in cryptography, how it can be very useful and useless in some cases.


After reading the paper, I could say that although virus can protect itself by using encryption without a decryption key to make it hard for every anti-virus, cryptography has a far more purpose to protect the computer industry or even the entire world. People would just have to be more careful in using some encryption methods to protect their systems. It is agreeable and scary at the same time why can encryption/cryptography be used in computer crimes. I have always seen ‘cryptography’ as very cool method invented since it can really keep or protect a data so good. The case of this kind of problem discussed in the paper is very relative to the book I’ve read by Dan Brown,” Digital Fortress”. The book was also about encryption/program being used in terrorizing the secret division of the US government. There’s a lot more interesting issues mentioned in the book on how amazing encryption could protect or jeopardize ones privacy or how it can either make or break a country.