The (Un)Natural History of Malware

An illustrated bestiary of malware creatures, drawn with charm and precision by a security professional.

Discover the “(Un)Natural” history of malware through the eyes of a slightly obsessive Victorian naturalist who has wandered straight into cyberspace.

In this lavishly illustrated volume, malware strains are reimagined as creatures in a digital ecosystem. Each Malmon (Malware Monster) is cataloged like a rare specimen: given a Latin-style name, described in formal “field notes” with anatomical notes, habitats, and behavioral quirks, and rendered in intricate black-and-white plates that echo 19th-century natural history engravings. Readers meet iconic creatures such as ILOVEYOU, Nimda, SQL Slammer, Stuxnet, WannaCry, TrickBot, Gh0st RAT, Raspberry Robin, and Industroyer, not as blobs of code but as invasive species, parasites, predators, and swarming colonies.

Instead of explaining APIs and tools, the book follows the life histories of these organisms: where they live, how they spread, what they feed on, and how they evolve. The result is a unique hybrid of pop science, security history, and Victorian natural history that is accessible to curious general readers, yet grounded enough for security professionals and students.Lena Yu, also known as LambdaMamba, is the founder of World Cyber Health and Malware Village, and the creator of the Malmons (Malware Monsters) and Malmons World Ltd. She has worked as a malware researcher, authored research papers for conferences including CARO and Virus Bulletin, and taught at top universities. Before specializing in malware, she focused on computer architecture, compiler research, and chip design. Today she is an international keynote speaker and a leading voice on the human and ecological impact of malicious code.