Abstract: Approaches for managing potentially malicious files using one or more isolated environments. In response to receiving a request to perform an action on a file, a client applies a policy to determine whether the action is deemed trustworthy. The client identifies, without human intervention, an isolated environment, executing or to be executed on the client, in which the action is to be performed based on whether the action is deemed trustworthy. In this way, embodiments allow a user to make use of data deemed untrusted in certain cases without allowing the untrusted data from having unfettered access to the resources of the client. If the requested action is performed in a different isolated environment from which the action was requested, embodiments enable the performance of the action to be performed seamlessly to the user.

Abstract: Approaches for launching an application within a virtual machine. In response to receiving a request to launch an application, a device instantiates, without human intervention and based on a policy, a virtual machine in which the application is to be launched. The policy determines which resources of a device, such as a mobile device or computer system, are accessible to the virtual machine. The policy may, but need not, determine whether the virtual machine has access to a type of resource which obligates the user of the device to make a monetary payment for the user of the resource.

Abstract: Approaches for providing a guest operating system to a virtual machine. A read-only copy of one or more disk volumes, including a boot volume, is created. A copy of a master boot record (MBR) for the one or more disk volumes is also stored. The read-only copy may be, but need not be, made using a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). A virtual disk, for use by the virtual machine, is created based on the read-only copy of the one or more disk volumes and the copy of the master boot record (MBR), wherein the virtual disk comprises the guest operating system used by the virtual machine. In this way, a single installed operating system may provide both the host operating system and the guest operating system.

Abstract: Approaches for managing potentially malicious files using one or more virtual machines. In response to receiving a request to perform an action on a file, a client applies a policy to determine whether the action is deemed trustworthy. The client identifies, without human intervention, a virtual machine, executing or to be executed on the client, in which the action is to be performed based on whether the action is deemed trustworthy. In this way, embodiments allow a user to make use of data deemed untrusted in certain cases without allowing the untrusted data from having unfettered access to the resources of the client. If the requested action is performed in a different virtual machine from which the action was requested, embodiments enable the performance of the action to be performed seamlessly to the user.

Abstract: Approaches for providing a guest operating system to a virtual machine. A read-only copy of one or more disk volumes, including a boot volume, is created. A copy of a master boot record (MBR) for the one or more disk volumes is also stored. The read-only copy may be, but need not be, made using a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). A virtual disk, for use by the virtual machine, is created based on the read-only copy of the one or more disk volumes and the copy of the master boot record (MBR), wherein the virtual disk comprises the guest operating system used by the virtual machine. In this way, a single installed operating system may provide both the host operating system and the guest operating system.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for distributed hypothesis testing in autonomic processing machines. Evidence about a network resource is gathered or contributed to and associated with a hypothesis about the network resource. The evidence is processed to determine whether a decision can be made with respect to activities or problems associated with the network resource. The hypothesis, the evidence, and the contributed evidence are propagated over a network to other network nodes or participants.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for distributed hypothesis testing in autonomic processing machines. Evidence about a network resource is gathered or contributed to and associated with a hypothesis about the network resource. The evidence is processed to determine whether a decision can be made with respect to activities or problems associated with the network resource. The hypothesis, the evidence, and the contributed evidence are propagated over a network to other network nodes or participants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collaborative attack detection in networks. An embodiment of a method comprises generating a first security belief for a first element of a network, receiving a second security belief for a second element of a network, and revising the first security belief based at least in part on the second security belief.

Abstract: A data network in which at least one switch is provided with the facility for estimating current network demands using a polygonal approximation to scaled cumulant generating function. The approximation is iteratively refined in accordance with sampled data passing through the switch. The switch estimates the demand associated with a new data processing request as it is received by the switch and decides whether to accept the request based on available resources.