Computer compliance system and method

• US 20070271363A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Ross, Kevin, Grazado, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/437,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271363A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a system and a method is provided to dynamically scan a network with a first network scanner and a second network scanner and to determine a new network address, wherein the new network address is discovered by the first network scanner and not discovered by the second network scanner.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network;

a first network scanner; and

a second network scanner;

wherein the first network scanner, and the second network scanner dynamically scan the network,

wherein a network address discovered by the second network scanner and not discovered by the first network scanner is inserted into a database read by the first network scanner and the second network scanner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network scanner performs a first separate function, and the second network scanner performs a second separate function.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first network scanner, and the second network scanner dynamically scan the network in response to null values in data base fields.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a third network scanner, wherein the first network scanner, the second network scanner, and the third network dynamically scan the network,

wherein a network address discovered by the third network scanner and not discovered by the first network scanner or the second network scanner is inserted into a database read by the first network scanner and the second network scanner, and

wherein the first network scanner performs a first separate function, the second network scanner performs a second separate function, and the third network scanner performs a third separate function.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanning of the network by the first network scanner, the second network scanner, and the third network scanner is automatically repeated after all previously known network devices have been scanned.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a web server, wherein a web page provided by the web server displays at least one of an indication that the new network address is not accessible and compliance metrics.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises at least one of a MAN, a WAN, a LAN, and a VPN

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor; and

a medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

inserting data from at least one data feed into the database;

determining a network address reported by the first network scanner or the second network scanner that is not associated with the at least one data feed; and

sending a notification related to the network address reported by the first network scanner.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining comprises:

combining data from the at least one data feed, the first network scanner, and the second network scanner.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a network-wide metric based on the combined data.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

execute a login script; and

send a network address to the database.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamically scanning is performed by using an Internet Control Message Protocol ping.

13. A method comprising:

dynamically scanning a network with a first network scanner;

dynamically scanning the network with a second network scanner;

determining a new network address, wherein the new network address is discovered by the first network scanner and not discovered by the second network scanner; and

updating the second scanner with the new address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first network scanner performs a first separate function, and wherein the second network scanner performs a second separate function.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first network scanner, and the second network scanner dynamically scan the network in response to null values in data base fields.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the new network address is not accessible; and

displaying a notification that the new network address is not accessible on a web page.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises:

applying one or more access codes to a device located at the new network address; and

determining that the one or more access codes do not grant access to the device,

wherein the one or more access codes are applied by at least one of the first scanner, and the second scanner.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

dynamically scanning a network with a third network scanner; and

determining a second new network address, wherein the second new network address is discovered by the third network scanner and not discovered by either the first scanner or the second scanner;

updating the first scanner with the second address; and

updating the second scanner with the second address,

wherein the third network scanner performs a third separate function.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is automatically repeated after all previously known devices have been scanned.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the new network address is added to a database.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

inserting data from a data feeds into a database;

determining a network address reported by the first network scanner or the second network scanner that are not associated with the data feed; and

sending a notification related to the network address reported by the first network scanner.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining comprises:

combining data from the at least one data feed, the first network scanner, and the second network scanner.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying a network-wide metric based on the combined data.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

executing a login script; and

sending a network address to the database as a result of the login script.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the network comprises at least one of a WAN, a LAN, and a VPN.

26. The method of claim 13, wherein the dynamically scanning is performed by using an Internet Control Message Protocol ping.