COMPUTING PLATFORM SECURITY METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20160328562A1
• Filed: 10/25/2014
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Saxena, Paritosh, Dunbar, Adrian M.M.T., Hughes, Michael S., Teddy, John, Durham, David Michael, Vembu, Balaji, Dewan, Prashant, Cablao, Debra, Triantafillou, Nicholas D., Surprise, Jason M.
• Application Number:
  US14/780,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware

Abstract

Computing platform security methods and apparatus are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a security application to configure a security task, the security task to detect a malicious element on a computing platform, the computing platform including a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit; and an offloader to determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task; and when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, offload the security task to the graphics processing unit for execution.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a security application to configure a security task, the security task to detect a malicious element on a computing platform, the computing platform including a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit; and

an offloader to;

determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task; and

when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, offload the security task to the graphics processing unit for execution.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein, when the offloader offloads the security task to the graphics processing unit, execution of at least one operation of the security task does not consume a cycle of the central processing unit.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the offloader is to determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task based on at least one of a first current workload of the central processing unit or a second current workload of the central processing unit.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the offloader is to determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task based on at least one of a size of the security task or a type of the security task.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the security application is to implement the offloader.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a scan initiator to set a frequency of execution for the security task on the graphics processing unit.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the security task comprises a memory scan for a pattern associated with the malicious element.

8. A method, comprising:

configuring a security task to detect a malicious element on a computing platform, the computing platform including a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit;

determining, via the central processing unit, whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task; and

when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, offloading the security task to the graphics processing unit for execution.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein, when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, execution of at least one operation of the security task does not consume a cycle of the central processing unit.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein determining whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task is based on at least one of a first current workload of the central processing unit or a second current workload of the central processing unit.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein determining whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task is based on at least one of a size of the security task or a type of the security task.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising setting a frequency of execution for the security task on the graphics processing unit.

13. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the security task comprises a memory scan for a pattern associated with the malicious element.

14. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

configure a security task to detect a malicious element on a computing platform, the computing platform including a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit;

determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task; and

when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, offload the security task to the graphics processing unit for execution.

15. A storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein, when the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task, execution of at least one operation of the security task does not consume a cycle of the central processing unit.

16. A storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task based on at least one of a first current workload of the central processing unit or a second current workload of the central processing unit.

17. A storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit is to execute the security task based on at least one of a size of the security task or a type of the security task.

18. A storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to set a frequency of execution for the security task on the graphics processing unit.

19. A storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the security task comprises a memory scan for a pattern associated with the malicious element.

20-142. -142. (canceled)