System, method and computer program product for equipping wireless devices with malware scanning capabilities

• US 7,096,501 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Palmer, David W., Libenzi, Davide, Fallenstedt, Martin, Kouznetsov, Victor, Pak, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/121,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 726/23, 726/24, 726/22, 726/25, 713/191
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware. Initially, an application service provider is initiated utilizing a mobile wireless device. Next, an anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device is updated over a wireless network utilizing the application service provider. The mobile wireless device is then scanned utilizing the updated anti-malware scanner.

Claims

1. A method for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware, comprising:

initiating an application service provider utilizing a mobile wireless device;

updating an anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device over a wireless network utilizing the application service provider; and

scanning the mobile wireless device utilizing the updated anti-malware scanner;

wherein the update is effected by wirelessly communicating with a back-end server;

wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected so as to regulate usage of the wireless network with the mobile wireless device;

wherein the application service provider includes a platform-independent component manager capable of running a plurality of functional modules on any one of a plurality of mobile wireless device platforms.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected only upon user authorization.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the platform-independent component manager includes a platform abstraction layer.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated on a schedule that is coordinated with a plurality of other mobile wireless devices for maintaining the performance of the wireless network.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the update includes a package.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the package is wrapped.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a manual trigger.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a self trigger.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a scanner trigger.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a scheduled trigger.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on an external trigger.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

instantiating the component manager of the mobile wireless device in response to a scan command, wherein the instantiation of the component manager further includes allocating memory of the mobile wireless device to a component manager.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the instantiation of the component manager further includes loading anti-malware scanner configuration settings in the allocated memory.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the anti-malware scanner is executed based on the configuration settings.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the anti-malware scanner scans the mobile wireless device based on the configuration settings.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the anti-malware scanner cleans the mobile wireless device based on the configuration settings.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the component manager logs the scanning of the mobile wireless device.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the component manager generates a call back function to control the anti-malware scanner.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scanning includes on-access scanning and on-demand scanning.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the on-access scanning is disabled during on-demand scanning to preserve resources on the mobile wireless device.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the update is tailored for the mobile wireless device.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of updates are pre-fabricated for a plurality of types of mobile wireless devices.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein a back-end infrastructure selects the updates.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the updates include different malware signatures pertinent to the associated mobile wireless device.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the back-end infrastructure includes a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server, a database transaction server, a client information storage database, and a web-based provisioning and reporting system.

26. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware, comprising:

computer code for initiating an application service provider utilizing a mobile wireless device;

computer code for updating an anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device over a wireless network utilizing the application service provider; and

computer code for scanning the mobile wireless device utilizing the updated anti-malware scanner;

wherein the update is effected by wirelessly communicating with a back-end server;

wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected so as to regulate usage of the wireless network with the mobile wireless device;

wherein the application service provider includes a platform-independent component manager capable of running a plurality of functional modules on any one of a plurality of mobile wireless device platforms.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected only upon user.

28. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the platform-independent component manager includes a platform abstraction layer.

29. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated on a schedule that is coordinated with a plurality of other mobile wireless devices for maintaining the performance of the wireless network.

30. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the update includes a package.

31. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein the package is wrapped.

32. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a manual trigger.

33. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a self trigger.

34. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a scanner trigger.

35. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on a scheduled trigger.

36. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the mobile wireless device is updated based on an external trigger.

37. A system for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware, comprising:

means for initiating an application service provider utilizing a mobile wireless device;

means for updating an anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device over a wireless network utilizing to application service provider; and

means for scanning the mobile wireless device utilizing the updated anti-malware scanner;

wherein the update is effected by wirelessly communicating with a back-end server;

wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected so as to regulate usage of the wireless network with the mobile wireless device;

wherein the application service provider includes a platform-independent component manager capable of running a plurality of functional modules on any one of a plurality of mobile wireless device platforms.

38. A system for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware, comprising:

a mobile wireless device;

an application service provider associated with the mobile wireless device;

an anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device; and

a wireless network for updating the anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device utilizing the application service provider;

wherein the update is effected by wirelessly communicating with a back-end server;

wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected so as to regulate usage of the wireless network with the mobile wireless device;

wherein the application service provider includes a platform-independent component manager capable of running a plurality of functional modules on any one of a plurality of mobile wireless device platforms.

39. A method for scanning a mobile wireless device for malware, comprising:

receiving a command from a user utilizing a mobile wireless device;

initiating an application service provider utilizing the mobile wireless device in response to the command;

transmitting data associated with the mobile wireless device to a back-end server over a wireless network;

receiving an update for a anti-malware scanner installed on the mobile wireless device over the wireless network, wherein the update is tailored for the mobile wireless device based on the data utilizing the application service provider; and

scanning the mobile wireless device utilizing the updated anti-malware scanner;

wherein the communication with the back-end server is effected so as to regulate usage of the wireless network with the mobile wireless device;

wherein the application service provider includes a platform-independent component manager capable of running a plurality of functional modules on any one of a plurality of mobile wireless device platforms.