IEEE has launched the Anti-Malware Support Service (AMSS), a new service from IEEE Standards Association’s (IEEE-SA) Industry Connections Security Group (ICSG). AMSS is designed to increase the availability of and access to stronger cryptographic and metadata cybersecurity tools and resources, says IEEE.  The first two AMSS services, the Clean File Metadata eXchange (CMX) and the Taggant System are now available.

AMSS’ CMX provides real-time information about clean files using metadata like hashes, filenames, directory paths, signatures, and version information submitted by software providers. With its pass-through model, the system authenticates data and allows security products and services to retrieve the verified data for use in their own ecosystems.

The Taggant System places a cryptographically secure marker in packed and obfuscated files generated by commercial software distribution packer programs. The system can detect which user license key was used to create packed software, including packed malware, making it easier to trace the origin of obfuscated programs. Once detected and identified, malicious license keys can be blacklisted, preventing further use.

[Image courtesy: IEEE]