Computer-implemented automatic security methods and systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of automatically securing a computer system or network against a suspect binary file (SBF) by, in response to detection of the SBF, initiating an automatic defence strategy comprising an action known to mitigate a known threat posed by a closest known malicious binary file (KMBF). The method further includes identifying the closest KMBF from a plurality of KMBFs by comparing an SBF branch map generated in respect of the SBF with respective KMBF branch maps generated in respect of each of the plurality of KMBFs, the SBF and KMBF branch maps being generated by breaking each of the respective binary files down into a respective sequence of blocks and determining how each block of the sequence branches to one or more other blocks of the sequence. Further aspects of the present disclosure relate to corresponding data processing systems, computer programs, computer-readable data carriers and data carrier signals.