Schrom, Edward; Ann Kinzig; Stephanie Forrest; Andrea L. Graham; Simon A. Levin; Carl T. Bergstrom; Carlos Castillo-Chavez; James P. Collins; Rob J. De Boer; Adam Doupe; Roya Ensafi; Stuart Feldman; Bryan T. Grenfall; J. Alex Halderman; Silvie Huijben; Carlo Maley; Melanie Moses; Alan S. Perelson; Charles Perrings; Joshua Plotkin; Jennifer Rexford and Mohit Tiwari
We explore the commonalities between methods for assuring the security of computer systems (cybersecurity) and the mechanisms that have evolved through natural selection to protect vertebrates against pathogens, and how insights derived from studying the evolution of natural defenses can inform the design of more effective cybersecurity systems. More generally, security challenges are crucial for the maintenance of a wide range of complex adaptive systems, including financial systems, and again lessons learned from the study of the evolution of natural defenses can provide guidance for the protection of such systems.