Method and system for securing, managing or optimizing a personal computer

• US 6,266,774 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee.Com Corporation
• Inventors: Kannan, Ravi, Katchapalayam, Babu, Balasubramaniam, Chandrasekar, Sampath, Srivats, Lingarkar, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/208,735
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713/201, 713/202, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for delivery and automatic execution of security, management, or optimization software over an Internet connection to a user computer responsive to a user request entered via a web browser on the user computer. In a preferred embodiment, the user directs the Internet browser to a Internet clinical services provider web site computer and logs in to the site using an identifier and a secure password and optionally makes a selection of the type of servicing desired, wherein an automatically-executing software package encapsulated within a markup language communication unit deliverable across the Internet is delivered, to the user computer, the automatically-executing software package being adapted to perform security, management, or optimization functions on the user computer. User identifiers and passwords enabling the downloads may be provided on a per-download basis or on a subscription basis.

Claims

1. A method for automatically performing one or more maintenance tasks on a remotely located computer connected to a server computer via a data network, said method comprising the steps of:

directing an Internet browser on the remotely located computer to form a logical connection with the server computer;

delivering a software package to the remotely located computer across said logical connection, said software package being encapsulated within a markup language communication unit deliverable across said logical connection, said software package comprising scripts for performing said one or more maintenance tasks on the remotely located computer; and

automatically executing the scripts for performing said one or more maintenance tasks on the remotely located computer.

2. The method of claim 1, said step of directing including a registering step, said registering step comprising the steps of:

downloading a web page located on the server computer using the Internet browser;

entering an identifier and a secure password on said web page; and

selecting an option presented on the web page to send the identifier and password to the server computer;

wherein said step of delivering the software package is enabled only if a user has provided a valid identifier and password.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

creating a transaction log on the server computer; and

recording information related to said steps of registering and delivering in the said transaction log.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of generating a periodic activity report for the remotely located computer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of transmitting an electronic message in an e-mail format from the server computer to the remotely located computer indicating that a new product or a new application is available for download.

6. The method of claim 5, said logical connection with the server computer being a secure network connection.

7. The method of claim 6, said software package including a program to detect computer viruses on the remotely located computer.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

before or during registering the remotely located computer, creating an account for a user of the remotely located computer on the server computer; and

identifying said identifier and password as valid if the user has a current subscription or a positive fund balance in said user account.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of transmitting payment information from the remotely located computer to the server computer in an electronic mail message format, wherein said account may reflect a current subscription or an increased fund balance upon receipt of said payment information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

generating an electronic receipt on the server computer; and

transmitting the receipt to the remotely located computer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more maintenance tasks comprise at least one of the following:

compression of software, compression of data, search for software that needs to be upgraded, search for data that needs to be upgraded, upgrade of software, upgrade of data, search for obsolete software, search for obsolete data, deletion of obsolete software, deletion of obsolete data, archival of software, archival of data, hardware diagnostics, and software diagnostics.

12. A computer program product for execution by a server computer for enabling the maintenance of a remote user computer coupled to the server computer over a network, comprising:

computer code for receiving a user request from the remote user computer, said user request being entered by the user via a web browser;

computer code for instantiating a download of a maintenance software package to a storage medium connected to the user computer via the web browser; and

computer code for causing said maintenance software to automatically execute on the user computer subsequent to downloading;

whereby, responsive only to said user-entered request via said web browser, advanced maintenance routines may be performed on said user computer without requiring local maintenance commands from said user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer code for receiving payment or subscription information from the user, whereby said maintenance software package is downloaded to the user computer only upon receiving valid payment information or current subscription information from the user.

14. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

means for directing a server computer to encapsulate a self-executing software maintenance program into a markup language communication unit deliverable across the Internet;

means for directing the server computer to receive a user command over the Internet, said user command being received from a user via a web browser installed on a remote user computer;

means for transmitting said encapsulated self-executing software maintenance program to said user remote computer responsive to said user command, whereby said software maintenance program is executed responsive only to commands entered from the user into the web browser.