Abstract: A system and method for allowing computer programs to directly access various features of a virus scanning engine is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the system includes a module for instantiating an object to act as an interface between the computer program and the virus scan engine, a module for setting properties of the object that are associated with the desired feature of the virus scan engine to be accessed, a module for invoking a method of the object, the invocation resulting in access to the desired feature of the virus scan engine, and a module for examining properties of the object after the desired feature of the virus scan engine has been accessed.