Intelligence Researchers to Study Computer Code for Clues to Hackers’ Identities

livemint.com:

Government researchers in the U.S. are studying methods to help identify hackers based on the code they use to carry out cyberattacks. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, the lead federal research agency for the intelligence community, plans to develop technologies that could speed up investigations for identifying perpetrators of cyberattacks.

“The number of attacks is increasing far more than the number of forensic experts that are available to go after these attacks," said Kristopher Reese, who is managing the research program at IARPA and holds a doctorate in computer science and engineering. The lack of forensic resources means hackers who target small organizations or companies that don’t fall under critical infrastructure sectors often escape identification, he said. Tools that are developed as part of the planned 30-month research project won’t replace human analysts, who are crucial for identifying social and political dynamics that might explain why a particular hacking group targeted a victim, Reese said.

But using artificial intelligence to analyze code used in cyberattacks will make investigations more efficient, he said. IARPA is accepting pitches from researchers until next month and plans to begin research next summer. Law enforcement authorities often take months or years to identify hackers behind major cyberattacks.