Dealing With Software Viruses: A Biological Paradigm

The authors introduce a probability model for populations of cells and viruses that interact in the presence of an anti-viral agent. Cells can be infected by viruses, and their longevity and ability to avoid infection are modified if they survive successive attacks by viruses. Viruses that survive the effect of the anti-viral agent may find that their ability to survive a future encounter with molecules of the anti-viral agent is modified, as is their ability to infect a healthy cell. Additionally, the authors assume that the anti-viral agents can be a cocktail with different proportions of agents that target different strains of the virus.