Epidemics of computer viruses: a complex-network approach

This paper addresses the spreading behavior of computer viruses across the Internet. Taking into account the power-law degree distribution of the Internet, a novel epidemic model of computer viruses is proposed. The spreading threshold for the model is presented. The global asymptotic stability of the virus-free equilibrium is proved when the threshold is below the unity, whereas the permanence of the virose equilibrium is shown if the threshold exceeds the unity. The influences of different model parameters as well as the network topology on virus spreading are also analyzed. In particular, it is found that (1) a higher network heterogeneity is conducive to the diffusion of computer viruses, and (2) a scale-free network with lower power-law exponent benefits virus spreading.