Blocking e-mail propagation of suspected malicious computer code
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for preventing the spread of malicious computer code, the method comprising:
- identifying a computer application that is data mining an e-mail address;
determining whether the computer application associates at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address with an e-mail message; and
blocking transmission of the e-mail message when the e-mail message is associated with the at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for preventing the spread of malicious computer code. An embodiment of the inventive method comprises the steps of: identifying (110) a computer application that is data mining an e-mail address; determining (130) whether the computer application associates at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address with an e-mail message (120); and blocking (140) the transmission of the e-mail message when the e-mail message is associated with the at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for preventing the spread of malicious computer code, the method comprising:
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identifying a computer application that is data mining an e-mail address; determining whether the computer application associates at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address with an e-mail message; and blocking transmission of the e-mail message when the e-mail message is associated with the at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for preventing the propagation of malicious computer code from a computer, the method comprising:
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determining whether a computer application is searching for a file containing electronic address information; observing the computer application read the electronic address information from the file; monitoring the computer application prepare an electronic message with the electronic address information; detecting whether the computer application associates at least one executable application with the electronic message; and responsive to detecting the computer application associate at least one executable application with the electronic message, blocking transmission of the electronic message. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. At least one computer-readable medium containing computer program instructions for preventing the spread of malicious computer code, the computer program instructions performing the steps of:
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identifying a computer application that is data mining an e-mail address from a computer file; monitoring for the computer application preparing an e-mail message addressed to the data mined e-mail address and comprising at least one executable application; and responsive to the computer application creating the e-mail message addressed to the data mined e-mail address and comprising the at least one executable application, blocking the transmission of the e-mail message. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. Apparatus for preventing the spread of malicious computer code from a client computer to an e-mail server, the apparatus comprising:
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a proxy module interposed between the client computer and the e-mail server, the proxy module comprising; a monitor module adapted to identify a computer application that is data mining an e-mail address from the client computer and to determine whether the computer application associates at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address with an e-mail message; and coupled to the monitor module, a blocking module adapted to block the transmission of the e-mail message when the e-mail message is associated with the at least one executable application and the data mined e-mail address. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification