24 Chapter 1 · Customer Power and AV Wannabes A Passion for Obscure Knowledge Malware research, and especially virus research, by its very nature is a somewhat esoteric scientific field. Researchers have to look for minute details in reverse-engineered code. An overlooked snippet of code could prove to be critical when deciding on what course of action is neces- sary to deal with a new malicious program. Thinking Outside of the Box In some respects, virus research can be nothing more than blue-sky/daydreaming. It is an unwritten responsibility of the anti- malware community to dream up the worst things that could be done to a computer system ("nightmare scenarios") and find ways to prevent them. Extreme Caution This is critical when dealing with malware. It makes sure that a researcher routinely checks for any potential mistakes in their handling of viruses, whether it concerns what the code they are reviewing actually does, where the samples are stored, or if the testing facility or machines are secured. Trustworthy The researcher has a responsibility to do the right thing. We are tasked with handling dangerous material. Although this material isn't life threat- ening in the same sense as Semtex or Ebola, it can nevertheless cause damage to a range of systems (from financial systems to medical systems), which have a serious potential impact on the general populace.Thus, a computer virus that causes real damage can affect many aspects of society, so any virus samples obtained by an individual must be handled as carefully as their biological equivalents would be.