Methods, computer networks and computer program products for reducing the vulnerability of user devices

• US 20060294587A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aslaksen, Eric, Bowden, Steve, Ho, Spencer
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/568 eliminating virus, restoring damaged files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities

Abstract

Methods, computer networks, and computer program products that reduce the vulnerability of network user devices to security threats include scanning a user device connected to a network to determine whether the user device contains a particular version of an application; downloading the particular version of the application via the network in response to verifying that the user device does not contain the particular version of the application; installing the downloaded application on the user device; scanning the user device for security vulnerabilities; downloading a patch via the network in response to detecting a security vulnerability, wherein the patch is configured to remedy the security vulnerability; and executing the downloaded patch on the user device to remedy the detected security vulnerability.

Claims

1. A method of reducing the vulnerability of network user devices to security threats, comprising:

scanning a user device connected to a network to determine whether the user device contains a particular version of an application;

downloading the particular version of the application via the network in response to verifying that the user device does not contain the particular version of the application;

installing the downloaded application on the user device;

scanning the user device for security vulnerabilities;

downloading a patch via the network in response to detecting a security vulnerability, wherein the patch is configured to remedy the security vulnerability; and

executing the downloaded patch on the user device to remedy the detected security vulnerability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein downloading the particular version of the application comprises downloading a service pack or patch for the application, and wherein installing the downloaded application on the user device comprises installing the service pack or patch on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at a information about applications and/or patches downloaded to the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein information about applications and/or patches downloaded to the user device is stored via a web site in communication with the user device via the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is in communication with a web site on the network and further comprising gathering information from the user device via the web site prior to scanning the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is in communication with a web site on the network and further comprising verifying, via the web site, that a user has logged onto the network with a valid user ID prior to scanning the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user to restart the user device after installing the downloaded application and after executing the downloaded patch.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded application comprises an application selected from the group consisting of:

operating systems, browsers, and anti-virus programs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded patch comprises an executable program selected from the group consisting of:

worm cleaners, hot fixes, security configuration utilities, security improvement utilities.

18. A computer program product for reducing the vulnerability of network user devices to security threats, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code being configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

10. A computer network, comprising:

a communications network;

a web site connected to the communications network; and

a plurality of user devices connected to the communications network, wherein each user device comprises;

means for scanning the user device to determine whether the user device contains a particular version of an application;

means for downloading the particular version of the application via the network in response to verifying that the user device does not contain the particular version of the application;

means for installing the downloaded application on the user device;

means for scanning the user device for security vulnerabilities;

means for downloading a patch via the network in response to detecting a security vulnerability, wherein the patch is configured to remedy the security vulnerability; and

means for executing the downloaded patch on the user device to remedy the detected security vulnerability.

11. The computer network of claim 10, wherein the means for downloading the particular version of the application comprises means for downloading a service pack or patch for the application, and wherein the means for installing the downloaded application on the user device comprises means for installing the service pack or patch on the user device.

12. The computer network of claim 10, further comprising means for storing information about applications and/or patches downloaded to the user device via the web site.

13. The computer network of claim 10, further comprising means for gathering information from each user device via the web site.

14. The computer network of claim 10, wherein the web site comprises means for verifying that a user has logged onto the network with a valid user ID.

15. The computer network of claim 10, wherein each user device further comprises means for prompting a user to restart the user device after installing an application and after executing a downloaded patch.

16. The computer network of claim 10, wherein the downloaded application comprises an application selected from the group consisting of:

operating systems, browsers, and anti-virus programs.

17. The computer network of claim 10, wherein the downloaded patch comprises an executable program selected from the group consisting of:

worm cleaners, hot fixes, security configuration utilities, security improvement utilities.