Patent · US Active

Computer virus protection

US7979691B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

30References

48Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Intellectual Ventures II LLC · US

Inventors

Walter Mason Stewart · Potomac, US
Marcelo Carrera · Silver Spring, US
Robert G. Hook · Alexandria, US

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 25, 2009
Grant date	Jul 12, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 25, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04L51/066
WIPO fieldDigital communication
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A network is protected from e-mail viruses through the use of a sacrificial server. Any executable program or other suspicious parts of incoming e-mail messages are forwarded to a sacrificial server, where they are converted to non-executable format such as Adobe Acrobat PDF and sent to the recipient. The sacrificial server is then checked for virus activity. After the execution is completed, the sacrificial server is rebooted.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.