The 6th International Conference on Malicious and Unwanted Software (Malware 2011) to be held at Waldorf Astoria El Conquistador Resort, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, USA. The conference is designed to bring together experts from industry, academia, and government to present and discuss, in an open environment, the latest advances and discoveries in the field of malicious and unwanted software. Techniques, economics and legal issues surrounding the topic of Malware, and the methods to detect and control them will be discussed.

On February 15, 2010 Associated Press reported that the number of cell phones in the world reached a new peak of 4.6 billion devices. In the US, 28% of all devices are Smartphone, whose penetration is increasing at a rate of 55.4% according to an IDC report. It is indisputable that the new platform for computation & communication is the Smartphone. At the same time, all of these devices require backend Data Base intensive application, and hence, Cloud Computing has become the de-facto paradigm for communication and computing in the 21st Century. The implications to the Security Industry are dramatic. The old paradigm of securing the network is quickly being replaced by the new paradigm of “Securing the Cloud”. At the same time, the archaic idea of a single attacker, or a single infection vector is quickly being replace by that of distributed attacks launched from botnets. Imagine a world where 4.6 Billion devices are part of a malicious botnet, how do we protect the cloud?, how do we protect the devices?

The implications of this new paradigm for researchers and practitioners in the Anti-Malware industry are dramatic. Securing the perimeter, and providing a controlled software environment are no longer a choice. How can you secure a perimeter when there is none? How can you secure the computing platform when the device, a Smarphone, is owned by the consumer, managed by the consumer, and monitored by the consumer. This year’s conference will pay particular attention to (and will also be extensively discussed in the panel sessions) the challenges of “Malware and Cloud Computing” from both the attackers and the defender's point of view. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that deal with these crucial topics for the 21st Century..

Secondly, the development of the Smart Grid has become a major global priority that promises lower costs, environmental benefits, and societal benefits. However, in a drive for deployment, as it is often the case with new technologies, the issues of security and protection have often been ignored.

Thirdly, organized criminal networks continue to deploy botnets at a rapid pace. As in previous conference, manuscripts that analyze and identify mechanisms to take down such botnets are of high interest to our attendees. Thus, the organizers of Malware 2011 solicit original written contributions addressing these issues and research questions. Manuscripts focusing on the security properties of Cloud Computing, the risks associated with the deployment of such networks, and the analysis of real incidents where a breach has occurred will be particularly welcomed.