Igor Muttik

Early Life and Education

Igor Muttik was born in 1962 in Russia. He earned a PhD in physics and mathematics from Moscow State University, a background that would inform his later analytical approach to computer security research.

Career

Muttik began researching computer malware in the 1980s, during the earliest years of the anti-virus industry. He worked as a virus researcher for Dr. Solomon's Software, one of the pioneering firms in the anti-malware field. He has been a member of CARO (Computer Antivirus Research Organization) since 1994, an organization that brings together leading anti-virus researchers from across the industry.

In 1998, Muttik joined McAfee, where he took on responsibility for running the company's anti-malware research operations across the EMEA region. In 2002, he transitioned into an architectural role. McAfee became part of Intel Corporation in 2011, and Muttik has held the title of Senior Principal Research Architect within that structure. He is based in the United Kingdom.

Standards and Industry Collaboration

Muttik has been a significant contributor to efforts aimed at standardizing and improving the anti-malware industry's practices and testing methodologies. In 2008, he was one of the co-founders of AMTSO (Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization) and served on its Board for three years.

He also co-founded the Industry Connections Security Group (ICSG), which operates under the IEEE. Within the ICSG, Muttik has served as chair of the taggant system working group and as vice-chair of both the ICSG and CMX (Clean File Metadata Exchange) working groups. The taggant system and CMX are components of the broader Anti-Malware Support Service (AMSS) framework.

Research and Academic Involvement

Muttik is a visiting professor at the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has led McAfee's participation in mobile device security research funded by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), including the MobSec, ACID, and AppGuarden projects. His current research focus encompasses the architecture of security solutions for smart devices and hardware-assisted security technologies.

His published work spans research in solid-state physics, anti-malware, and security industry collaboration, reflecting the breadth of his academic and professional interests.

Public Speaking

Muttik is a regular speaker at major international security conferences, including Black Hat Briefings, RSA Conference, DEF CON, Virus Bulletin, and EICAR, where he has presented on topics related to malware research and security architecture.