System and method for triggering and performing scans to protect virtual environments
First Claim
1. A method for triggering scans of items in a virtual universe, the virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, at least one avatar having a virtual item and an item inventory, the method comprising:
- receiving tags from a plurality of users that a particular region of a virtual universe is potentially a source of malicious virtual items;
compiling, based on the tags, historical data about the occurrences of malicious items in the particular region;
detecting the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar being picked up by a user in the particular region;
in response to the detecting, scanning, using a geometry scanner, the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar;
determining if the scanned virtual item has a geometry that differs from a normal virtual item, and if so;
triggering an item alert and blocking the scanned virtual item,checking attributes of the scanned virtual item against attributes of known malicious virtual items, andupdating an inventory item safety summary accordingly.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method in a virtual universe system for triggering scans of virtual items and inventories of virtual items and for scanning the virtual items and inventories wherein the scans may be triggered by an avatar moving or teleporting from one region to another, or by an avatar picking up, dropping off, or accepting or purchasing an item. The degree of scanning may depend upon factors such as location where these scan triggers occur. The signature of the item may be identified by the scan process. The item signature may be compared against signatures of known malicious items stored in an inventory item signatures database and a summary of the signature comparison may be sent to a resident and stored in the resident'"'"'s inventory.
21 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method for triggering scans of items in a virtual universe, the virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, at least one avatar having a virtual item and an item inventory, the method comprising:
-
receiving tags from a plurality of users that a particular region of a virtual universe is potentially a source of malicious virtual items; compiling, based on the tags, historical data about the occurrences of malicious items in the particular region; detecting the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar being picked up by a user in the particular region; in response to the detecting, scanning, using a geometry scanner, the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar; determining if the scanned virtual item has a geometry that differs from a normal virtual item, and if so; triggering an item alert and blocking the scanned virtual item, checking attributes of the scanned virtual item against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and updating an inventory item safety summary accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A system for dynamically expanding computing resources in a networked computing environment, comprising:
-
a memory medium comprising instructions; a bus coupled to the memory medium; and a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to; receive tags from a plurality of users that a particular region of a virtual universe is potentially a source of malicious virtual items; compile, based on the tags, historical data about the occurrences of malicious items in the particular region; detect a virtual item of inventory belonging to an avatar being picked up by a user in the particular region; in response to the detecting, scan, using a geometry scanner, the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar; determine if the scanned virtual item has a geometry that differs from a normal virtual item, and if so; trigger an item alert and blocking the scanned virtual item, check attributes of the scanned virtual item against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and update an inventory item safety summary accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable hardware storage device for operating in a system comprising at least one computer system having a network adapter for accessing a network, a processing unit, and a memory, for implementing a method for triggering scans of items in a virtual universe, the virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, at least one avatar having a virtual item and an item inventory, the method comprising:
-
receive tags from a plurality of users that a particular region of a virtual universe is potentially a source of malicious virtual items; compile, based on the tags, historical data about the occurrences of malicious items in the particular region; detect the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar being picked up by a user in the particular region; in response to the detecting, scan, using a geometry scanner, the virtual item of inventory belonging to the avatar; determine if the scanned virtual item has a geometry that differs from a normal virtual item, and if so; trigger an item alert and blocking the scanned virtual item, check attributes of the scanned virtual item against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and update an inventory item safety summary accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification