A novel dynamic immunization strategy for computer network epidemics

Abstract

Current immunization strategies for computer network epidemics are based on the assumption that the vaccines are ready before the epidemics, and it is obviously unrealistic in computer network. Our study of the targeted immunization on Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) epidemiological model shows the efficiency of the targeted immunization decreases sharply with time gap between the vaccines and epidemics considered. We propose a two-phase propagating immunization strategy to suppress the computer network epidemics by the spreading of vaccines. During the two phases, the vaccines will go up the degree sequence in phase one and down the sequence in phase two, so the important nodes are protected and the revisit rate of the vaccines is reduced. The simulation results on the extended SIR model indicate our strategy can suppress the epidemics as effectively as the fastest anti-worm strategy, with an obvious lower spreading cost. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.