System and method of efficiently identifying and removing active malware from a computer
US7673341B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 15, 2004 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 13, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/562
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a system, method, and computer-readable medium for identifying and removing active malware from a computer. Aspects of the present invention are included in a cleaner tool that may be obtained automatically with an update service or may be downloaded manually from a Web site or similar distribution system. The cleaner tool includes a specialized scanning engine that searches a computer for active malware. Since the scanning engine only searches for active malware, the amount of data downloaded and resource requirements of the cleaner tool are less than traditional antivirus software. The scanning engine searches specific locations on a computer, such as data mapped in memory, configuration files, and file metadata for data characteristic of malware. If malware is detected, the cleaner tool removes the malware from the computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.