The Role of Malware Analysts in Cybersecurity and Society
Introduction
Malware analysis is a vital field in cybersecurity that focuses on studying malicious software to understand how it operates, spreads, and can be neutralized. Professionals in this area play a key role in protecting organizations, governments, and individuals from cyberattacks. However, their work extends far beyond the technical realm. Malware analysts often rely on social science concepts-particularly from psychology, criminology, sociology, and ethics-to guide decision-making, understand cybercriminal behavior, and
anticipate social consequences. This paper explores how the profession of malware analysis incorporates social science and impacts society, especially vulnerable populations.
Professional Role and Applications of Social Science
Malware analysis investigates harmful code such as viruses, ransomware, spyware, and trojans. They examine how malware functions, what vulnerabilities it exploits, and who might be behind the attack. Analysts use both static analysis (examining code without executing it) and dynamic analysis (observing behavior in a controlled environment). While technical skills are central to this work, a deeper understanding of human behavior and social context can enhance the analyst’s ability to make informed decisions.
Criminology plays a critical role by helping analysts understand the mindset of cybercriminals. Like traditional offenders, many hackers operate within tight-knit online communities where behaviors, motivations, and even “code of conduct” are shaped by groups dynamic and peer influence. For example, malware forums on the dark web often run based on individuals’ reputation and loyalty impact activity. These environments often echo the social structures of gangs or subcultures (Bada & Nurse, 2020). Understanding these dynamics helps analysis predict attack patterns and motives.
Psychology can be used as a tool to develop profiles of attackers. Example, a ransomware attack could have psychological tactics such as urgency, fear, or manipulation, which are traits that malware analysis must deconstruct to understand the attacker’s goals (Tanczer, 2024). By recognizing these mechanisms, analysts can reverse-engineer attacks and
design countermeasures that are behavioral in nature and can influence the success rate of prevention.
Real World Example: WannaCry and the Global Impact
A prime example of malware analysis in action is the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017. This global cyberattack has affected over 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries, including hospitals, banks, and government institutions. Analysts later discovered that the malware exploited a vulnerability in outdated Windows systems, encrypting users’ files and demanding payment by bitcoin.
Social science comes into play in a few ways. First, malware analysts had to understand how the attacks spread through social networks, exploiting human error such as clicking on phishing links. Second, the attack disproportionately affected public hospitals (surgeries, diagnostics, and patient records) and under-resourced organizations, especially in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). This highlights how vulnerable communities can suffer from cybercrime. This aligns with sociological research showing that systemic inequality, low-income individuals, and marginalized communities rely heavily on public healthcare systems (Tanczer, 2024). This scenario aligns with sociological findings that cyberattacks intensify existing inequalities, especially in
healthcare and education (Hernandez-Castro, Cartwright, & Cartwright, 2020).
Ethical Considerations and Social Responsibility
Ethics-another pillar social science-is a constant concern in malware analysis. Analysts must tread carefully when handling sensitive data, ensuring they do not violate privacy rights while investigating an attack. This is especially important when malware targets public infrastructure or involves citizen data, such as health or financial records. Furthermore, ethical dilemmas arise when governments or private corporations request malware analysts to investigate or exploit vulnerabilities for surveillance or military purposes. In these scenarios, the analyst may feel conflicted by some of the requests based on ethical framework taught in sociology and political science, such as protection
civil liberties. Tanzcer (2024) argues that cybersecurity professionals need clear ethical guidelines to avoid becoming tools of government overreach.
Many malware analysts also work with nonprofits and international coalitions to share threat intelligence and improve collective security. Their contributions to open-source malware databases or public alerts serve a social good, aligning with social science values of community protection and public awareness.
Conclusion
Malware analysis is more than a technical profession-it is a socially informed practice that protects people, systems, and even national security. Professionals in this field depend on social science principles to understand attacker behavior, predict societal impact, and make ethical decisions. Real-world incidents like the WannaCry attack show that cybercrime is not just a tech issue, but a human issue with widespread consequences. As malware threats evolve, analysts bridge the gap between social responsibility and digital
defense, ensuring a safer future for all, mostly the vulnerable.