DATA SECURITY DEVICE FOR PREVENTING THE SPREADING OF MALWARE

• US 20100011442A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ray Technology Group BV
• Original Assignee: Sumwintek Corp.
• Inventors: Zhao, Shi-Ming
• Application Number:
  US12/267,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/567 using dedicated hardware

Abstract

A method and system for preventing spreading of malware, including: automatically launching an anti-malware control mechanism after a data security device connects to a computing device and receives power from the computing device, determining availability of a data path in the data security device before allowing data to pass through the data path, and scanning the data that passes through the data path.

Claims

1. A method for preventing spreading of malware, comprising:

automatically launching an anti-malware control mechanism after a data security device connects to a computing device and receives power from the computing device;

determining availability of a data path in the data security device before allowing data to pass through the data path; and

scanning the data that passes through the data path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a database of known malware signatures through a network connection of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises controlling the availability of the data path based on a result of the launching step.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the availability of the data path is based on whether power is supplied to a power source of the data path.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the availability of the data path is based on whether the data path is selected to transfer the data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the availability of the data path is based on whether the data path is switched on to transfer the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-malware mechanism includes an anti-malware control unit configured to control the availability of the data path.

8. A device for preventing spreading of malware, comprising:

a connector for the connection with another device;

a communication hub with an up-link port and a downlink port for the transmission of signals;

a control circuit for establishing the availability of a data path; and

an anti-malware control unit configured to determine the availability of the data path by launching an anti-malware control mechanism.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the anti-malware control mechanism comprises a malware scanning engine and a monitoring center.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the control circuit receives command signals sent by the anti-malware control unit.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the command signal may be a control power signal or a control path signal.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the control circuit may be a power control circuit or a connecting switch.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the power control circuit is coupled to a controlled power path and controls power supply to a power source of the data path.

14. The device of claim 12, the power control circuit may be an independent circuit or embedded in an integrated circuit module.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the control power signal allows power supply to the controlled power path after a successful launch of the anti-malware control mechanism is detected by the anti-malware control unit.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the control path signal allows the data path to be coupled through a communication port in the connecting switch after a successful launch of the anti-malware control mechanism is detected by the anti-malware control unit.

17. A computer-readable medium containing a sequence of instructions executable within a computing device including a processing unit and a physical memory, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to:

automatically launch an anti-malware control mechanism after a data security device connects to a computing device and receives power from the computing device;

determine availability of a data path in the data security device before allowing data to pass through the data path; and

scan the data that passes through the data path.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further containing a sequence of instructions, which when executed by the processing unit in the computing device, causes the processing unit to:

determine the availability of the data path based on whether power is supplied to a power source of the data path.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further containing a sequence of instructions, which when executed by the processing unit in the computing device, causes the processing unit to:

determine the availability of the data path based on whether the data path is selected to transfer the data.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further containing a sequence of instructions, which when executed by the processing unit in the computing device, causes the processing unit to:

determine the availability of the data path based on whether the data path is switched on to transfer the data.