Patents Assigned to Associated Technology
  • Patent number: 6944775
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for scanning data utilizing multiple scanning engines. Initially, a request for data to be scanned for viruses is generated utilizing a scanning interface. Thereafter, such request to scan data is sent to a plurality of scanning engines utilizing an engine interface application control module coupled between the scanning interface and the scanning engines. The request is adapted for prompting the scanning engines to scan the data and respond with events upon locating a virus. Such events are then received utilizing an event processor module coupled to the scanning engines and the engine interface application control module for processing the events. The processed events are then sent to the engine interface application control module for being monitored by the scanning interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Barton, Lee Codel Lawson Tarbotton, Martin J. Lucas
  • Patent number: 6941358
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for reporting on network analysis. Initially, network traffic information is collected utilizing a plurality of agents installed in computers distributed among a plurality of zones. Next, the network traffic information collected from the agents associated with each zone is received at separate controllers. Next, a report on the network traffic information is sent from one of the controllers to a computer coupled thereto via a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert V. Joiner, Praveen Raghuraman, Ken W. Elwell
  • Patent number: 6938161
    Abstract: A library of anti computer virus test drivers is provided with classifications for the drivers which may be used to select the applied drivers in dependence upon which anti computer virus program is using that library. The library is typically shared between a suite of anti computer virus programs. The drivers are also classified with information that allows them to be placed in a priority order for application when scanning. In this way, the drivers that protect against the most threatening viruses may be checked for first and accordingly the highest level of protection achieved if the scanning process is early terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Malcolm Vignoles, Paul Nicholas Gartside, Barrett Tuttle
  • Patent number: 6934857
    Abstract: A method for detecting possible harmful actions on a handheld computer before they are executed. The method includes monitoring calls to applications resident on the handheld computer and identifying a code associated with a program initiating the call. The action requested by the call is at least temporarily prevented from being performed if the identified code does not correspond to a code associated with data the action is to be performed upon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Bartleson, Brandt Haagensen, Brian R. Cox
  • Patent number: 6931540
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for on-access computer virus scanning of files in an efficient manner. If no identifier is assigned to a process for accessing files, virus detection actions are selected based at least in part on the identification of the process. Further, an identifier is assigned to the process. Thereafter, virus detection actions may be selected based at least in part on the identifier for accelerating the selection process. In operation, the selected virus detection actions are performed on the files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Edwards, Edmund H. White
  • Patent number: 6928555
    Abstract: Scanning time for a computer anti-virus program is minimized by eliminating scanning of a file for viruses before closure, in response to the absence of a modification flag being raised in an associated operating system, the flag being indicative of the file having been modified between the time the file was opened to the time of a close request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Drew
  • Patent number: 6922776
    Abstract: A scalable system for notification of a change in condition of an electronic certificate is provided. The system includes a network of servers capable of providing notification of changes in conditions of electronic certificate to an unlimited number of users. The system includes a first server comprising a detection module and a notification module. The system having at least one server capable of actively monitoring and detecting changes in conditions of a certificate. Other CAP servers in the system may and/or may not actively monitor electronic certificates at the same time. That is, these CAP servers may actively monitor conditions of electronic certificates at the same time they play passive roles (e.g., not monitoring the electronic certificates for which they will be notified of changes from another CAP server).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey V. Cook, Michael Heyman, Peter Dinsmore
  • Patent number: 6920558
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for managing security policies in a distributed computing system. Security policies include, but are not limited to, a firewall policy, a policy for file access, a policy for application access, a policy for an encryption algorithm, a policy for audit trails, and a policy for activity logging. These security policies determine access rights to a computer application. The system operates by creating multiple security policies with individual security policies specifying a differing level of security for the distributed computing system. These security policies are then distributed to each computer in the distributed computing system. Next, a specific security policy is selected for use across the distributed computing system, and each computer in the distributed computing system is directed to use the specified security policy enforcing a selected security posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Sames, Brent S. Whitmore, Brian S. Niebuhr, Gregg W. Tally
  • Patent number: 6920493
    Abstract: A system and a method for communicating coalesced rule parameters in a distributed computing environment are described. A plurality of packet validation devices are communicatively interposed between network routing points within the distributed computing environment. The packet validation devices apply parameterized rules to transiting network packet traffic. A plurality of processing tree nodes are configured into a concast tree. In a lowermost layer of the concast tree, each processing tree node collects and coalesces rule parameters from at least one packet validation device. In each successive layer of the concast tree, each processing tree node collects and coalesce the rule parameters from at least one processing tree node in a next lower layer of the concast tree. A control center assembles the coalesced rule parameters from each packet validation device in an uppermost layer of the concast tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen A. Schwab
  • Patent number: 6915426
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a plurality of authentication tags using a plurality of authentication mechanisms is disclosed. The plurality of authentication tags can reflect different authentication strength-performance levels. It is a feature of the present invention that a receiver is afforded increased flexibility in adaptively choosing strength-performance levels. It is a further feature of the present invention that multiple authentication tags can be used in multicast environments, where different receivers may have different processor capabilities or security policies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Carman, Michael D. Heyman, Alan T. Sherman
  • Patent number: 6907396
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for emulating computer viruses and/or malicious software that operates by patching additional program instructions into an emulator in order to aid in detecting a computer virus and/or malicious software within suspect code. During operation, the system loads a first emulator extension into the emulator. This first emulator extension includes program instructions that aid in the process of emulating the suspect code in order to detect a computer virus and/or malicious software. The system also loads the suspect code into an emulator buffer. Next, the system performs an emulation using the first emulator extension and the suspect code. This emulation is performed within an insulated environment in a computer system so that the computer system is insulated from malicious actions of the suspect code. During this emulation, the system determines whether the suspect code is likely to exhibit malicious behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Muttik, Duncan V. Long
  • Patent number: 6904521
    Abstract: A technique, and system(s) implementing the technique, allow an encrypted message to be sent directly to a recipient, and when the recipient opens the message, the recipient's system sends a request to an arbiter server to retrieve decryption information to decrypt the message. When the arbiter server receives the request for the decryption information, the arbiter server generates evidence of the request and sends the decryption information to the recipient. In this way, an evidentiary trail, that cannot be repudiated, can be used to establish that the recipient received and attempted to open the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrey Jivsov
  • Patent number: 6898715
    Abstract: When a computer virus outbreak is detected, a predefined sequence of steps are automatically or manually followed using rule definitions, that may include office hours, to invoke anti-virus counter-measures. The counter-measures can include reducing virus notification, increasing scanning options, blocking E-mail attachments, hiding E-mail address books and the like. The predetermined sequence of actions may be varied with the time of day and day of week.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hugh Smithson, Andrew Arlin Woodruff, Anton Christian Rothwell, Jeffrey Martin Green, Christopher Scott Bolin
  • Patent number: 6898712
    Abstract: A library of anti computer virus test drivers is provided with classifications for the drivers which may be used to select the applied drivers in dependence upon which anti computer virus program is using that library. The library is typically shared between a suite of anti computer virus programs. The drivers are also classified with information that allows them to be placed in a priority order for application when scanning. In this way, the drivers that protect against the most threatening viruses may be checked for first and accordingly the highest level of protection achieved if the scanning process is early terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Malcolm Vignoles, Paul Nicholas Gartside, Barrett Tuttle
  • Publication number: 20050108175
    Abstract: A licence ticket 6 obtained by a user 12, such as by purchase from a retail outlet 4, bears a licence key 12 behind a scratch off panel 10. This licence key when entered into a webpage dialog with a download server 16 is validated by that download server 16 as legitimate and used to trigger download and installation of a computer program product onto the user's computer 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Applicant: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack Clark
  • Patent number: 6895387
    Abstract: A system and method for dynamically marketing products and/or services to an end user of a device over a network based on a stored configuration profile of the client device are disclosed. The method generally comprises identifying at least one advertisement campaign according to a rules engine, applying the rules of the rules engine to the end user device profile, generating an advertisement campaign request containing a listing of at least one of the identified advertisement campaigns, transmitting the advertisement campaign request to an advertisement server over a network, receiving a dynamic advertisement application from the advertisement server, and executing the dynamic advertisement application for presenting the at least one advertisement campaign to the end user of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Beauchamp Roberts, Siddaraya B. Revashetti, Chandrasekar Balasubramaniam, Babu Katchapalayam, Ravi Lingarkar
  • Patent number: 6895513
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for performing one or more tasks on a remotely located computer connected to a server computer via a data network. Communication is established with the remotely located computer to form a connection with the server computer. Software is then delivered to the remotely located computer across the connection. Such software is encapsulated within a markup language communication unit deliverable across the connection. Moreover, the software is adapted for performing the one or more tasks on the remotely located computer. Still yet, the software is executed via a network browser for performing the one or more tasks on the remotely located computer via the network browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chandrasekar Balasubramaniam, Ravi Kannan, Siddaraya Basappa Revashetti, Srivats Sampath, Babu Katchapalayam
  • Patent number: 6892241
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for enforcing an anti-virus policy. Initially, a status command is received at a client computer from a network device utilizing a network. In response to the status command, a status is sent to the network device utilizing the network. Such status relates to anti-virus scanning software on the client computer. Next, a response is initiated at the client computer utilizing the network based on the status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Kouznetsov, Ricky Huang
  • Patent number: 6892227
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for analyzing a network utilizing a host controller/zone controller interface. Initially, network traffic information is collected utilizing a host controller. Then, a predetermined interval setting is tracked, and the system polls for the receipt of a demand over the network. In response to the demand or the cessation of the predetermined interval setting, the network traffic information is transmitted to a zone controller over the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken W. Elwell, Herbert V. Joiner
  • Patent number: 6886099
    Abstract: A computer virus outbreak is detected by comparing one or more measurement parameters determined over a measurement period against a threshold level. The measurement parameters can include a measurement of how many E-mail messages are sent having an identical file attachment, file type or simply in total. The threshold levels may be varied with the time of day and day of week as well as the tests applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hugh Smithson, Andrew Arlin Woodruff, Anton Christian Rothwell, Jeffrey Martin Green, Christopher Scott Bolin