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Antivirus accelerator

  • US 6,021,510 A
  • Filed: 11/24/1997
  • Issued: 02/01/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A computer-based method for examining a file associated with a digital computer, said file containing a plurality of file sectors, to determine whether a computer virus is present within said file, the method comprising the steps of:

  • when the file is being examined an initial time;

    scanning selected file sectors of the file by an antivirus module, the selected file sectors being fewer than all of the file sectors and defining a critical fixed set of sectors; and

    storing into a first storage area the number of each file sector that is scanned and a hash value of each sector that is scanned; and

    when the file is being examined a subsequent time;

    computing a hash value only for each file sector in the critical fixed set of sectors;

    comparing each computed hash value with the hash value stored within said first storage area for the corresponding sector; and

    rescanning the file by the antivirus module when any computed hash value fails to match a corresponding stored hash value for any sector in the a critical fixed set of sectors.

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