System, method, and computer program product for conveying a status of a plurality of security applications

• US 8,074,282 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Lymer, Brent J., Kingsbury, Brad, Ritter, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/624,325
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 726/25
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• 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 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for displaying a status of a security application. A status of at least one security application is initially identified. An index is calculated that is representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application. The index is then displayed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index includes a number between one (1) and ten (10).

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of indices are each calculated for one of a plurality of security applications.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the security applications include security applications selected from the group consisting of an anti-virus security application, a firewall security application, a privacy service security application, and an anti-spam security application.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of an anti-virus security application.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the index reflects a signature file of the anti-virus security application.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the index reflects a version of the anti-virus security application.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the index is calculated using a weighted average of a plurality of aspects of the anti-virus security application selected from the group consisting of a signature file of the anti-virus security application and a version of the anti-virus security application.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of a firewall security application.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the index reflects a version of the firewall security application.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of a privacy service security application.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the index reflects a version of the privacy service security application.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index includes an overall index reflecting a plurality of security applications.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the overall index is calculated using a weighted average of a plurality of separate indices associated with each of the security applications.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed numerically.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed graphically.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the index is displayed utilizing a bar-graph.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed utilizing a color coding.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the color coding correlates with the degree of risk associated with the status.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising displaying additional information relating to the status upon the selection of the displayed index.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the additional information includes a link capable of being selected by a user.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, and further comprising taking an action to decrease the degree of risk associated with the status, in response to the selection of the link by the user.

23. A computer program product for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

computer code for identifying a status of at least one security application;

computer code for calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

computer code for displaying the index.

24. A system for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

means for;

identifying a status of at least one security application,

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application, and

displaying the index.

25. A system for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

computer code for identifying a status of at least one security application and calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

a graphical user interface in communication with the computer code for displaying the index.

26. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a bar graph; and

displaying the bar graph.

27. A method, comprising:

determining a degree of risk associated with a plurality of security aspects associated with a computing environment of a computer; and

visually displaying the degree of risk associated with the security aspects utilizing a plurality of visual indicators.

28. A method, comprising:

identifying a status of a plurality of security applications;

calculating an individual index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of each of the security applications, wherein each individual index is calculated using a plurality of aspects of the status of the security applications;

calculating an overall index representative of a degree of risk associated with a collective status of the security applications, the calculating of the overall index including a weighted average of the individual indices associated with each of the security applications; and

displaying each individual index and the overall index.