Push alert system, method, and computer program product

• US 8,230,502 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• 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, Karchapalayam, Babu
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/470,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/22
• 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 alerting users of a plurality of computers of a security event via a network. A security alert is first generated including information relating to a security event utilizing a server. The security alert is then pushed from the server to a plurality of computers via a network. The information of the security alert is then automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of the computers.

Claims

1. A method for alerting users of a plurality of computers of a security event via a network, comprising:

generating a security alert including information relating to a security event utilizing a server;

pushing the security alert from the server to a plurality of computers via a network; and

processing the security alert for each of the plurality of computers based on a user profile associated with the each computer to obtain a computer'"'"'s alert information, wherein the user profile includes data relating to a security application installed on the each computer;

wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information is automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of a corresponding one of the plurality of computers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information includes a level of the security alert.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the level of the security alert reflects a level of risk associated with the security event.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information includes at least one proposed user action relating to the security event.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one proposed user action includes at least one of obtaining more information relating to the security event and obtaining protection from the security event.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information includes a response by a security application carried out in reaction to the security event.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the response includes at least one of scanning a computer, scanning a file, cleaning a file, and blocking access to a computer.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information includes a description of the security event.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the security alert is tailored based on a user-profile prior to the act of pushing.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein a first set of the information of the security alert is pushed to the plurality of computers.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information comprises a subset of the first set of information of the security alert.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the user profile includes data relating to a security application installed on one of the computers associated with the user.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the data relates to a status of the security application on the computer associated with the user.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the status indicates whether the security application is installed.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the status indicates whether the security application is enabled.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the status indicates whether a subscription associated with the security application is expired.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information automatically displayed in the front most window remains displayed in a foreground of the user interface until an option associated with the security alert is selected.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein pushing the security alert from the server comprises broadcasting the security alert.

19. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for alerting users of a plurality of computers of a security event via a network, comprising:

computer code for generating a security alert including information relating to a security event utilizing a server;

computer code for pushing the security alert from the server to a plurality of computers via a network; and

computer code for processing the security alert for each of the plurality of computers based on a user profile associated with the each computer to obtain a computer'"'"'s alert information, wherein the user profile includes data relating to a security application installed on the each computer;

wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information is automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of a corresponding one of the plurality of computers.

20. A system for alerting users of a plurality of computers of a security event via a network, comprising:

means for;

generating a security alert including information relating to a security event;

pushing the security alert from the server to a plurality of computers; and

processing the security alert for each of the plurality of computers based on a user profile associated with the each computer to obtain a computer'"'"'s alert information, wherein the user profile includes data relating to a security application installed on the each computer and,

wherein the computer'"'"'s alert information is automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of a corresponding one of the plurality of computers.