STATOS: A portable tool for secure malware analysis and sample acquisition in low resource environments

Cameron, Alexander, Alam, Abu S, Anjum, Nasreen, Khan, Javed Ali and Mylonas, Alexios (2025) STATOS: A portable tool for secure malware analysis and sample acquisition in low resource environments. Array, 26. p. 100391. doi:10.1016/j.array.2025.100391 (In Press)

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Abstract

Malware poses a significant security threat to organisations worldwide, particularly in environments with limited resources. Static analysis has emerged as a crucial technique for gaining insights into malware, but it often requires specialised hardware and software, which can be a barrier for organisations facing financial or supply constraints. To address these challenges, this study presents a Static-Analysis Operating System (StatOS), a portable Linux derivative operating system designed for static malware analysis. StatOS can be executed from a USB device, allowing organisations to perform efficient, user-friendly, and secure malware analysis even on underpowered hardware. This study contributes a practical solution to field analysis of malware within low-resource environments, providing a model and requirement data for future developments in portable cybersecurity tools. The tool was validated through a combination of expert feedback using the Delphi method and security assessments, including Monte-Carlo simulations and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) evaluations. Results indicate that StatOS meets and exceeds key performance requirements, with 100% of surveyed cyber specialists agreeing on its effectiveness, and 80% indicating they would use StatOS in forensic investigations.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Goodland
Date Deposited:	15 Apr 2025 09:09
Last Modified:	15 Apr 2025 09:15
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/14973

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