Impact of network design on worm propagation

I like this paper, because it explores a simple concept, and one that lies at the heart of the problem. To what degree does a network's topology and structure help or hinder worm propagation.

In this paper, we simulate the Code Red II and Nimda worms on different enterprise-scale networks to determine the impact that topology has on worm propagation. A corporate network can be designed to improve security and, as we show, to decrease the propagation rate of worms that use network scanning as a target discovery technique. We also examine the impact that LaBrea-like devices have on propagation rates and compare it to the impact of network topology.

Source: Impact of network design on worm propagation, by Brian Carrier and Sundararaman Jeyaraman and Sarah Sel.