Push alert system, method, and computer program product

• US 8,239,941 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Lymer, Brent J., Katchapalayam, Babu, Kingsbury, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US10/325,025
• Time in Patent Office: 3,519 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/975 Pop-up dialog box for entry

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

a server to generate a security alert, the security alert including information relating to a security event, and to push the security alert from the server; and

a plurality of computers each coupled to the server via a network to receive the security alert and to automatically display the information of the security alert in a front most window of a user interface thereof,

wherein a first computer of the plurality of computers determines a status of a security application relative to the first computer and conditionally displays a purchase link as part of the security alert on the first computer based on the status.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the front most window is automatically displayed over a background window running during the pushing of the security alert from the server to the plurality of computers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the front most window remains displayed in a foreground of the user interface until an option associated with the security alert is selected.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the front most window remains displayed in a foreground of the user interface when a background window is changed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a background window is useable while the front most window remains displayed in a foreground of the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the push includes broadcasting the security alert.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the security alert is color-coded to reflect a level of severity associated with the security alert.

8. A method to alert 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

determining, on a first computer of the plurality of computers, a status of a security application relative to the first computer;

wherein the information of the security alert is automatically displayed on each of the computers and is augmented with a purchase link based on the status of the security application prior to being displayed on the first computer.

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

computer code to utilize a server to generate a security alert, the security alert including information relating to a security event;

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

computer code to determine a status of a security application relative to a first computer system of the plurality of computers;

wherein the information of the security alert is automatically displayed on each of the computers and is augmented with a purchase link based on the status of the security application prior to being displayed on the first computer system.

10. A method for handling a security event, comprising:

at a computer, receiving from a server a security alert including information relating to a security event;

identifying a status of at least one security application on the computer;

augmenting the information of the security alert with a purchase link based on the identified status; and

displaying the information of the security alert based on the identified status of the at least one security application on the computer;

wherein the security alert is pushed from the server to the computer; and

wherein the information of the security alert is automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of the computer.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the security alert is displayed utilizing a single graphical user interface.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the single graphical user interface allows access to the security application.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the single graphical user interface displays the status.

14. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for handling a security event, comprising:

computer code to receive, from a server, a security alert including information relating to a security event;

computer code to identify a status of security applications on a computer;

computer code to augment the information of the security alert with a purchase link based on the identified status; and

computer code to display the information of the security alert based on the identified status of the security applications on the computer;

wherein the security alert is pushed from the server to the computer; and

wherein the information of the security alert is automatically displayed in a front most window of a user interface of the computer.

15. A method, comprising:

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

pushing the security alert from the server to a computer via a network;

identifying a status of security applications on the computer;

augmenting the information of the security alert with a purchase link based on the identified status; and

conditionally displaying the information of the security alert in a front most window of a user interface of the computer based on the status of the security applications on the computer;

wherein the information includes at least one response option capable of being selected by a user for initiating a response to the security event associated with the security alert.