System and Method for Virus Notification Based on Social Groups
First Claim
1. A method, in a data processing system, for providing notifications of possible computer virus infection to computing devices based on a defined social group, comprising:
- detecting an infection of a first computing device by a computer virus;
determining an update or patch to a virus protection software for handling the computer virus;
identifying a social group associated with the first computing device, the social group being a defined group of addresses associated with a plurality of computing devices that communicate with each other; and
distributing a plurality of notification messages to one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices associated with the social group, wherein the notification messages identify the computer virus and the determined update or patch to the virus protection software associated with the computer virus.
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Abstract
Virus notifications based on social groups are provided. When an anti-virus program is updated, the anti-virus program informs its peers within the social group of the update. When a particular peer computing device is infected, it notifies the other anti-virus programs in the social group. The notification to the other anti-virus programs may identify which particular patches/updates are required for that particular peer computing device'"'"'s anti-virus program based on the data structure that maintains the update status of the anti-virus software on each of the peer computing devices. The anti-virus programs in the social group, based on the notification of the infection from the infected computing device, may automatically perform operations for downloading any required patches and performing a scan of the peer computing device in order to isolate and remove the virus if the peer computing device has become infected.
65 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method, in a data processing system, for providing notifications of possible computer virus infection to computing devices based on a defined social group, comprising:
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detecting an infection of a first computing device by a computer virus; determining an update or patch to a virus protection software for handling the computer virus; identifying a social group associated with the first computing device, the social group being a defined group of addresses associated with a plurality of computing devices that communicate with each other; and distributing a plurality of notification messages to one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices associated with the social group, wherein the notification messages identify the computer virus and the determined update or patch to the virus protection software associated with the computer virus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising a storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
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detect an infection of a first computing device by a computer virus; determine an update or patch to a virus protection software for handling the computer virus; identify a social group associated with the first computing device, the social group being a defined group of addresses associated with a plurality of computing devices that communicate with each other; and distribute a plurality of notification messages to one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices associated with the social group, wherein the notification messages identify the computer virus and the determined update or patch to the virus protection software associated with the computer virus. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A data processing system, comprising:
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at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to; detect an infection of a first computing device by a computer virus; determine an update or patch to a virus protection software for handling the computer virus; identify a social group associated with the first computing device, the social group being a defined group of addresses associated with a plurality of computing devices that communicate with each other; and distribute a plurality of notification messages to one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices associated with the social group, wherein the notification messages identify the computer virus and the determined update or patch to the virus protection software associated with the computer virus.
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Specification