System and method of selectively scanning a file on a computing device for malware
US7676845B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 9, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/564
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In accordance with this invention, a system, method, and computer-readable medium that selectively scans files stored on a computing device for malware is provided. One or more files may be sent from a trusted source to a computing device that implements the present invention. The integrity of the files that originate from a trusted source is validated using a signature-based hashing function. Any modifications made to files stored on the computing device are tracked by a component of the operating system. In instances when the file is not modified after being validated, an aspect of the present invention prevents the file from being scanned for malware when a scanning event is directed to the file. As a result, the performance of the computing device is improved as static files from trusted sources are not repeatedly scanned for malware.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.