Abstract: Bait files and signatures allow security software vendors to track both authorized and unauthorized usage of the security vendor's signatures/products by third party security vendors. A bait file providing module anonymously provides a bait file to a third party security vendor for security detection, where the bait file is a non-malware file. A signature providing module provides a bait signature corresponding to the bait file that is included in a signature database which is made publicly available. A scanner monitoring module monitors security detections made over a period of time by a security scanner operated by the third party vendor. A determination module determines whether the scanner positively detected the bait file following the release of the bait signature for the bait file. A use detection module detects, in response to a positive determination, that the third party vendor used the bait signature provided to detect the bait file.

Abstract: Voice conversations by way of communications devices are conducted by transmitting symbols representative of a user's voice from a transmitting communications device and recreating the user's voice at a receiving communications device. The communications devices each include a processing engine responsive to a user's voice input for generating speech sample data indicative of predetermined portions of the user's voice. A storage device is coupled to the processing engine and stores the speech sample data. The processing engine also includes a communication module that generates transmission data, indicative of the user's voice spoken during a communication session as a function of the speech sample data and causes transmission of the transmission data to a remotely located recipient of the communication session.

Abstract: Images are used to safeguarding machines by assessing vulnerabilities in the image. Where assessing vulnerabilities includes both detection and repair, vulnerabilities are detected, a security definition/update is determined for use in repairing the vulnerability, which may include elimination, patching, fixing, writing data to a file or file system associated with the image, or modifying configuration settings. The security definition/update is tested to determine whether to implement the definition and, if test criteria are successfully passed, to permit a system application of the image such as a system restoration following a catastrophic system failure (i.e., disk or drive crash, reboot, etc.).

Abstract: Voice conversations by way of communications devices are conducted by transmitting symbols representative of a user's voice from a transmitting communications device (101.1, 101.2) and recreating the user's voice at a receiving communications device (101.1, 101.1). The communications devices (101) each include a processing engine (104) responsive to a user's voice input (110) for generating speech sample data (112) indicative of predetermined portions of the user's voice. A storage device (106) is coupled to the processing engine (104) and stores the speech sample data (112). The processing engine (104) also includes a communication module (200, 300, 400) that generates transmission data, indicative of the user's voice spoken during a communication session as a function of the speech sample data (112) and causes transmission of the transmission data to a remotely located recipient of the communication session.

Abstract: Voice conversations by way of communications devices are conducted by transmitting symbols representative of a user's voice from a transmitting communications device (101.1, 101.2) and recreating the user's voice at a receiving communications device (101.1, 101.1). The communications devices (101) each include a processing engine (104) responsive to a user's voice input (110) for generating speech sample data (112) indicative of predetermined portions of the user's voice. A storage device (106) is coupled to the processing engine (104) and stores the speech sample data (112). The processing engine (104) also includes a communication module (200, 300, 400) that generates transmission data, indicative of the user's voice spoken during a communication session as a function of the speech sample data (112) and causes transmission of the transmission data to a remotely located recipient of the communication session.

Abstract: Defective long filenames (LFNS) are diagnosed and repaired in computer systems that have a file allocation table (FAT) structure (2) and that use both short filenames (SFNs) and long filenames (LFNs). Each LFN comprises at least one LFN entry. Defective LFN entries that are repaired are from the group comprising orphaned LFN entries, malformed LFN entries, improperly terminated chains of LFN entries, and improper matches between LFNs and corresponding SFNs.