Phishing Scams and Viruses Can Be Beautiful, Deadly

mydoom.jpg

Spam is horrible. Phishing is evil. Computer Viruses are potentially deadly (to your computer). They’re also exsquisitely breathtaking, if you look at the work of Alex Dragulescu.

Security Firm MessageLabs commissioned the digital artist to create 15 interpretations of different viruses, trojans, spam, worms and spyware code. What you’re looking at above is the MyDoom email worm.

The images were created by inserting part of the actual code from the various online threat into a proprietary algorithm which twisted it, turned it, shook it around and turned it into art. We’ve got more pics, plus the artist’s own explanation below.

Malwarez is a series of
visualization of worms, viruses, trojans and spyware code. For each
piece of disassembled code, API calls, memory addresses and subroutines
are tracked and analyzed. Their frequency, density and grouping are
mapped to the inputs of an algorithm that grows a virtual 3D entity.
Therefore the patterns and rhythms found in the data drive the
configuration of the artificial organism.

Text and Spam image – SUBJECT: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT YOU ARE GETTING FAT?russian3 copy.jpg

Phishing – SUBJECT: CONFIRM YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT DETAILSphishing1_geom.jpg

Email worm – NETSKYnetsky2.jpg

I think the most amazing thing about these is that you actually get a feeling for the hidden malevolence in each of them. Hit the link for the artist’s website with even more images. And thanks to Seamus at TimeOut Sydney (Yes, the same Seamus that used be editor here at Giz AU) for the tip.

[Alex Dragulescu]