Combating computer viruses: IBM's new computer immune system

At IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center (in Yorktown Heights, New York), the Anti-Virus Science and Technology group is doing groundbreaking work in automatic virus detection and eradication. IBM incorporated some of the group's work in virus detection using machine learning techniques into its AntiVirus product. The group has also developed a prototype computer immune system. Modeled after the human/vertebrate immune system, this electronic immune system can detect and eradicate hitherto unknown viruses. The group is using it in the lab everyday to analyze new viruses sent to them from around the world, and plans to integrate it into AntiVirus.