Modeling the dynamics of a network-based model of virus attacks on targeted resources

•Proposed a network-based model for virus attacks on targeted resources.•Revealed that the model presented several distinct features.•Some numerical experiments were conducted.

This paper extends a homogenous network model proposed by Haldar and Mishra (2014) into a heterogeneous one by taking into consideration the topology property of the Internet. The dynamics of this new model are investigated by studying the stability of its equilibria using mathematical methods. The qualitative analyses show that, because of the effect of the Internet topology, the results of the model exhibit several distinct features as compared to those of the original model. Some numerical experiments are also conducted to account for the potential scenarios of the model.