Predicting future malware with generative models

Abstract

A malware classification system includes a first machine-learning model trained based on malware from a first plurality of prior time periods to predict malware in a first subsequent time period subsequent to the first plurality of prior time periods, and a second machine-learning model is trained based on malware from a second plurality of prior time periods offset by at least some time from the plurality of time periods used to train the first machine-learning model to predict malware in a second subsequent time period subsequent to the second plurality of prior time periods. The trained first and second machine-learning models are used to predict malware in a future time period, and a classifier is trained using the malware from a plurality of the prior time periods and predicted malware from a future time period to train the classifier to identify and/or classify malware.