SNIA Developer Conference September 15-17, 2025 | Santa Clara, CA
Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry of the Immune System for Ransomware Mitigation
Abstract
Learning Objectives
The immune system has evolved from ground-up to protect us. It offers a rich and innovative set of strategies and tactics. Drawing parallels to the digital world, we can adopt a number of these strategies to develop a more secure enterprise infrastructure. The immune system comprises specialized system information pathways, memory bank of recipes to create antigens and even fabricate interceptor molecules that impede spread of pathogens not yet encountered. Using biomimicry, similar specialized monitoring and protection mechanisms can be built into key OS and networking modules. The body is judicious in how it spends energy and other resources on immune responses. The presentation discussed architecting similar efficient “inline” monitoring of systems. In the event of a viral attack, many similarities can be observed between viral and ransomware attacks. As first line of defense, intentional vaccination are used to increase herd immunity. In parallel, agents spreading the infection are identified and isolated. Using this as an analogy, the presentation various we discuss digital tactics that could be deployed. The immune response uses various strategies to differentiate between cells that belong to the body versus foreign cell and identify and destroy them. The presentation discussed deploying similar strategies to detect and quarantine errant "foreign" code and data.
Related Sessions
Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry of the Immune System for Ransomware Mitigation
Ransomware attacks pose an existential threat to enterprise infrastructure, with devastating consequences for organizations and individuals alike. Drawing inspiration from the human immune system, this talk proposes a novel approach to ransomware mitigation using biomimicry. By studying the immune system's strategies and tactics, we can develop innovative solutions to detect, respond to, and prevent ransomware attacks. This talk will explore the parallels between biological and digital systems, highlighting key biomimicry-inspired strategies for ransomware mitigation, including system protection, pathogen recognition, and adaptive response. By leveraging the power of biomimicry, we can create more robust and resilient cybersecurity systems, better equipped to defend against the evolving threat of ransomware.
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