4 ms·

Logic bomb is a term for a very specific subtype of malware, and it is quite informative and useful to use this term - it gives a proper impression about what t

Logic bomb is a term for a very specific subtype of malware, and it is quite informative and useful to use this term - it gives a proper impression about what this particular malware does and doesn't do. It immediately suggests that it has a delayed action that creates a disruption after some time (and not right away); that it is hidden (as opposed to e.g. ransomware), that it's intentionally deployed there (as opposed to someone accidentally getting infected), that it's most likely not spreading itself automatically like a virus and that the damage isn't controlled in realtime like in a botnet, etc. Simply saying 'malware' would not tell us this information, so it would be vague and inaccurate instead of using the appropriate terminology.

ghostpepper 7y ago
So the delay, or triggering condition, is the differentiator? Thanks, that actually makes a bit more sense. I skimmed the wikipedia page before posting and it wasn't immediately obvious.
- jlgaddis 7y ago
  I think the "delayed action" aspect is key to the use of the term "logic bomb" -- as in the phrase "a ticking time bomb waiting to go off" that we've probably all heard. As PeterisP mentioned, the delayed action is integral to the concept of a logic bomb, as opposed to just invoking a piece of malware that immediately starts breaking things. Delaying the "attack" helps to hide its origin, making it harder to discover the cause of the problems.
  - im3w1l 7y ago
    Going even further off topic, but it's pretty neat that logic bombs exist in nature. Plasmids are circular dna molecules found in bacteria. They can replicate independently of their host, and they can spread to other bacteria. They often provide useful functions, most famously - antibiotic resistance, to their host. So there is a high degree of symbiosis. Anyway plasmids have these things called addiction molecules to prevent the bacteria from eliminating them. They create a long lived poison, and a short lived anti-poison. If the plasmid is no longer around, then the anti-poison degrades and the cell dies.

ghostpepper 7y ago

So the delay, or triggering condition, is the differentiator? Thanks, that actually makes a bit more sense. I skimmed the wikipedia page before posting and it wasn't immediately obvious.

jlgaddis 7y ago
I think the "delayed action" aspect is key to the use of the term "logic bomb" -- as in the phrase "a ticking time bomb waiting to go off" that we've probably all heard. As PeterisP mentioned, the delayed action is integral to the concept of a logic bomb, as opposed to just invoking a piece of malware that immediately starts breaking things. Delaying the "attack" helps to hide its origin, making it harder to discover the cause of the problems.
- im3w1l 7y ago
  Going even further off topic, but it's pretty neat that logic bombs exist in nature. Plasmids are circular dna molecules found in bacteria. They can replicate independently of their host, and they can spread to other bacteria. They often provide useful functions, most famously - antibiotic resistance, to their host. So there is a high degree of symbiosis. Anyway plasmids have these things called addiction molecules to prevent the bacteria from eliminating them. They create a long lived poison, and a short lived anti-poison. If the plasmid is no longer around, then the anti-poison degrades and the cell dies.