Harlequin Poodles vs. hackers: Cyber security on four paws
Dogs don't just sniff out viruses on people, but also malware in networks. Harlequin poodles are particularly effective. Could these pooches be the future of cyber security?
Dogs can detect viruses
Dogs have the ability to detect tumours and coronaviruses by smell. They can also sniff out data storage devices such as mobile phones, hard drives and USB sticks. We went a step further and tested various dog breeds to see if they could detect viruses on servers and in networks.
Miniature poodles perform best
The results showed that poodles, specifically harlequin poodles, performed best. These dogs were able to detect malware from a distance of 50 centimetres, and their small size allowed them to be lifted to the topmost rack units, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Tonality indicates the malware
When they detect malware, they bark loudly, and the tonal quality of the barking is indicative of the type of malware. We have already trained them to bark at Trojans in C major and at DDoS packages in D major. With further training, we are confident that they will also be able to detect ransomware, spyware, adware, backdoors, APTs and any other type of malware.
Anti-virus dogs that bite back
Currently, our dog handlers make their daily rounds through our data centres so that we can be sure to detect malware early on. In the future, we are planning meet and greets with the security team's German shepherds. It is quite possible that in the near future we will even be able to report on anti-virus dogs that bite back...!