Origins: An Approach to Trace Fast Spreading Worms to Their Roots

An automatic distributed mechanism is proposed to identify the propagation roots of fast spreading internet worms. The information obtained can be used to identify local worm outbreaks, identify network intrusion, identify internal network misuse, and help with the forensic trace-back after detection. It has been designed with simplicity, efficacy, and ease of deployment in mind. Two modes of operation are possible, yielding both real-time and post mortem propagation information. The proposed paradigm can work in unison with any intrusion detection, throttling and human-mediated responses. Simulation results show that even with only 20–30% deployment, worm origins can be pinpointed with great precision.