Dynamical model and analysis of malware propagation on the dynamically-deployed heterogeneous honeynet

A novel malware propagation model is suggested in this paper. Contrary to existing models for malware spreading under the deployed honeynet, honeypots in our model can be dynamically deployed according to the overall infection size within the network. The basic reproduction number that determines the persistence of malware is derived, and the existence and uniqueness of the malware equilibrium are investigated. Using the basic reproduction number, we proved that the malware-free equilibrium is locally and globally asymptotically stable. Numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the theoretical results, showing that nodes with higher degree values are conducive to the spread of malware, and network with a small power law index has a higher spreading level. Furthermore, the total number of needed honeypots is governed by both infection size and network topology. Based on the results, some ideas for the effective design of a honeynet are suggested.