Patents Assigned to Symantec
  • Streaming an application install package into a virtual environment
    Patent number: 8352937
    Abstract: A system and method for streaming an install package into a virtual environment. The system includes a server and a client. The server streams an install package to the client as a series of streamlets. The client starts an installer component in a suspended state outside the virtual environment. The client registers the installer component in the virtual environment and initiates execution of the installer component in the virtual environment to receive portions of the install package and install the received portions of the install package in the virtual environment. During package installation, a virtualization manager detects an attempt to execute a call to a file system and confines file system changes resulting from the call to the virtual environment in response to determining that the attempt was made by the installer component and the installer component is registered in the virtual environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: James Sanders, Ryan M. McCarten
  • Method and apparatus for processing a multi-step authentication sequence
    Patent number: 8353039
    Abstract: A method of automating an authentication sequence for accessing a computer resource comprising processing form information associated with the authentication sequence, wherein the authentication sequence comprises a plurality of queries associated with a plurality of web pages; and communicating a response to a portion of the authentication sequence using form information that corresponds to a query upon recognition of indicia of the portion of the plurality of web pages where the portion comprises the query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Shaun Cooley, Bruce McCorkendale
  • Virtual security appliance
    Patent number: 8353031
    Abstract: Security from malicious attack is provided for a user environment running in a virtualized environment by a virtual security appliance (VSA) running outside of the user environment, but on the same computer system as the user environment. For example, a VSA running in a virtual machine can provide security for a user environment running in a second virtual machine. The separation of the VSA from the user environment enhances the robustness of the VSA against malicious attacks seeking to disable/bypass the protections of the VSA, while avoiding the costs and complexities of a physical security appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Archana S. Rajan, Leo Cohen, Charlotte W. Chang, Christopher Alexander, Gary Sabala, Alfred C. Hartmann, Wei Lin, Brendon Woirhaye
  • Systems and methods for managing portions of files in multi-tier storage systems
    Patent number: 8352429
    Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method for managing portions of files in multi-tier storage systems. The method may include identifying a file that is managed by an application and stored in a multi-tier storage system. The method may also include determining how the application stores data in the file by identifying data-management information associated with the application. The method may further include using the data-management information to identify a first portion of the file, identifying a data-placement policy, and implementing the data-placement policy by moving the first portion of the file from a first tier of the multi-tier storage system to a second tier of the multi-tier storage system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Murthy V. Mamidi, Raghupathi Malige, Gautham Ravi
  • Determining firewall rules for an application on a client based on firewall rules and reputations of other clients
    Patent number: 8353021
    Abstract: A security system monitors the trustworthiness and firewall configurations of a set of clients, where a firewall configuration comprises a set of firewall rules that control access by an application to network communication functionalities of a client. Based on the firewall rules used by other clients and the reputation of those clients, the system determines a set of default firewall rules by selecting one or more rules that are used by the more trustworthy clients. The default firewall rules are made available to other clients, which may use these default rules. This leverages community knowledge about how much network access to allow for a particular application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Sourabh Satish, William E. Sobel
  • Systems and methods for improving the effectiveness of decision trees
    Patent number: 8352409
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the effectiveness of decision trees are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may include: 1) receiving, from at least one computing device, a) a sample, b) a classification assigned to the sample by a decision tree employed by the computing device, and c) identification information for a branch configuration that resulted in the classification, 2) determining that the decision tree incorrectly classified the sample, and then 3) excluding the offending branch configuration from future decision trees. An exemplary method for dynamically adjusting the confidence of decision-tree classifications based on community-supplied data, along with corresponding systems and computer-readable media, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Sourabh Satish, Nicholas Graf, Lachlan Orr, Shane Pereira, Scott Sullivan
  • Methods and systems for detecting rootkits
    Patent number: 8353058
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting rootkits is disclosed. The computer-implemented method may include sending periodic security communications from a privileged-processor-mode region of a computing device. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying at least one of the periodic security communications. The computer-implemented method may further include determining, based on the periodic security communications, whether the privileged-processor-mode region of the computing device has been compromised. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce McCorkendale, Sourabh Satish, William E. Sobel
  • Collecting malware samples via unauthorized download protection
    Patent number: 8353033
    Abstract: A hook is set for one or more downloading functions. Subsequently, code is executed within an application process. Responsive to the executed code calling one of the hooked functions to download code, a return address of the called function is examined. If the return address is within a memory area not marked executable, the code is permitted to be downloaded and the downloaded code is submitted to a security server for analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Chen, Brendon Woirhaye
  • Method and system for detecting identity theft or unauthorized access
    Patent number: 8353032
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting an anomaly relating to resource access comprising logging in to a website using identity information, storing a current login time in an access time database, accessing a last local login time for the resource from the access time database, determining a last resource login time from the resource and comparing the last local login time to the last resource login time, wherein a result of the comparison indicates resource access anomaly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Sourabh Satish, Brian Hernacki, Govinda S. Salinas
  • Systems and methods for creating text signatures for identifying spam messages
    Patent number: 8353035
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating text signatures for identifying spam messages may include: 1) identifying a spam message, 2) tokenizing the text of the spam message, 3) identifying at least one incorrectly punctuated token within the tokenized text of the spam message, 4) identifying, within the tokenized text of the spam message, at least one token that is adjacent to the incorrectly punctuated token, and then 5) creating a candidate signature for identifying future instances and/or variations of the spam message that includes both the incorrectly punctuated token and the token that is adjacent to the incorrectly punctuated token. Corresponding systems and configured computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Graham Coomer, Nicholas Johnston
  • Systems and methods for contextual evaluation of files for use in file restoration
    Patent number: 8352438
    Abstract: A method for contextual evaluation of files for use in file restoration. The method may include receiving a request to replace a damaged file on a computing system with a clean instance of the damaged file and identifying a clean file that corresponds to the damaged file. The method may also include identifying at least one file set that includes the clean file. The method may further include evaluating the suitability of the clean file for use as a replacement for the damaged file by: 1) determining whether the computing system includes an instance of each file in the file set and 2) deciding, based on the determination of whether the computing system includes an instance of each file in the file set, whether to replace the damaged file with the clean file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Kennedy
  • Systems and methods for hashing executable files
    Patent number: 8352484
    Abstract: A method for hashing executable files may include identifying an executable file comprising non-variable executable content that contributes to the functionality of the executable file and does not vary among instances of the executable file. The method may also include identifying, within the executable file, non-executable content that does not contribute to the functionality of the executable file. The method may further include creating a normalized executable file by normalizing at least a portion of the non-executable content of the executable file without normalizing the non-variable executable content of the executable file. The method may include calculating a hash value that represents the normalized executable file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Schneider
  • Utilizing peer-to-peer services with single instance storage techniques
    Patent number: 8352692
    Abstract: A system and method for storing data in a peer-to-peer network. A computer system includes interconnected hosts configured to store data segments. A first host stores a first subset of the data segments received from other hosts. The first host maintains a portion of a distributed hash table corresponding to the first subset of data segments and de-duplicates the first subset of the data segments against the remaining data segments. The distributed hash table comprises entries corresponding to the data segments, each entry including a data segment fingerprint that unambiguously identifies the corresponding data segment. The first host selects and joins a group of hosts that maintains the distributed hash table. The first host conveys data to the selected group indicating its availability to own additional entries in the distributed hash table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Jordan
  • Storage configurator for determining an optimal storage configuration for an application
    Patent number: 8347058
    Abstract: A method for automatically (i.e., programmatically) determining a storage configuration for a storage system for a given application. The method may receive information on existing storage capabilities in the storage system and information regarding the software application that will use the storage system. The method may then automatically determine a storage configuration for the storage system based on the existing storage capabilities in the storage system, the information regarding the application, and application specific rules about storage configuration principles of the application. The rule may comprise priority information that specifies a priority in application of the rules, e.g., a structure or list of storage types in order of priority for different application data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Margaret E. Knight, Ron S. Vogel
  • Detecting malicious social networking profiles
    Patent number: 8347381
    Abstract: Access of a social networking profile on a social networking website is detected. Characteristics of the social networking profile are analyzed to determine whether the social networking profile is malicious. Responsive to determining that the social networking profile is malicious, the social networking profile is reported as being malicious.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: William Gauvin
  • Optimized image archiving
    Patent number: 8346727
    Abstract: An optimized backup image of a virtual machine is generated. The virtual machine is associated with a virtual disk. The virtual disk includes one or more virtual volumes. Generating the optimized backup image includes excluding one or more invalid sectors of the virtual disk from the optimized backup image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Chester, Timothy M. Naftel
  • Method and apparatus for providing high availability of a database
    Patent number: 8346732
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing high availability of a database. A first front end server is coupled to a first back end server, and a second front end server is coupled to a second back end server. The second front end server provides redundancy to the first front end server and the second back end server provides redundancy to the first back end server. The front end servers function as a gateway into the database and comprise protocol services for processing input/output requests to the gateway. The back end servers comprise database protocol services and interface directly to the gateway to retrieve information requested by the processed database requests received from the front end servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventor: Rupesh Nasre
  • Method and apparatus for continuous data protection
    Patent number: 8346787
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous data protection is provided. In one embodiment, the method for continuous data protection comprises receiving a write request for writing at least one data segment to storage; computing, using at least one processor, a signature for the at least one segment; comparing, using at least one processor, the signature that is associated with the at least one segment with a plurality of data signatures for previously stored data segments; and processing the data segment in a manner dependent upon whether the signature matches any one of the plurality of data signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Amol Manohar Vaikar
  • Techniques for global single instance indexing for backup data
    Patent number: 8346731
    Abstract: Techniques for global single instance indexing for backup data are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for indexing backup data. The method may comprise generating a content hash for an item being backed up. The item may be associated with a resource name and the content hash may be used as an identifier in backup and indexing. The method may further comprise saving an entry for the item in an index database. The entry may comprise a resource list which may comprise the resource name and a reference count associated with the resource name. Moreover, the method may comprise setting a value for the reference count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Ynn-Pyng Tsaur, Kirk Searls
  • Filter driver for identifying disk files by analysis of content
    Patent number: 8346805
    Abstract: A system and method for excluding certain types of files from being saved to a system by examining file data. The file data is examined by: mapping the circular queue to memory; reading the file identifiers from the circular queue (a named mutex is locked until all file identifiers have been read from the queue); using the file identifier to open the file; scanning the opened file to create a file signature; comparing the file signature to each entry on a list of signature criteria; and performing a storage policy if there is a match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kyler