System and method for detecting peer-to-peer network software
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for detecting peer-to-peer network software, said system comprising:
- a. a storage medium for storing instructions;
b. a user input device for receiving user input; and
c. a processor unit operable to process said user input and to use said instructions to execute a scanning program to;
i. review a first feature of a target computer indicative of installation of peer-to- peer client software on the target computer, wherein said first feature is selected from a group consisting of said target computer'"'"'s registry keys, registry values, installed executable files, disk directories and network communications;
ii. compare said first feature of said target computer to first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer;
iii. review a second feature of said target computer indicative of past participation in peer-to-peer network communication by the peer-to-peer client software on said target computer, said second feature consisting of determining if multimedia files are stored locally on said target computer;
iv. compare said second feature of said target computer to second known information including at least a predetermined threshold count of multimedia files wherein a search is initiated on an entirety of local storage of said target computer for the multimedia files and the search is stopped when the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files is reached, the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files being indicative of the past participation by the peer-to-peer client software in the peer-to-peer network communication;
v. determine that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being greater than or equal to the second known information including at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files;
vi. in response to the determination that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication, disable the peer-to-peer client software and notify a network administrator of result of the comparisons; and
vii. determine that the peer-to-peer client software has not been installed on said target computer and that files are not being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature not matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being less than the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method for detecting whether or not a computer system is, has, or can participate in a Peer-to-Peer network. Scanning software is executed on a target system to be scanned or a remote system which will scan a target system. If Peer-to-Peer client software is detected the scanning software can notify the enforcing user, disable the Peer-to-Peer client software, or both.
62 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for detecting peer-to-peer network software, said system comprising:
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a. a storage medium for storing instructions; b. a user input device for receiving user input; and c. a processor unit operable to process said user input and to use said instructions to execute a scanning program to; i. review a first feature of a target computer indicative of installation of peer-to- peer client software on the target computer, wherein said first feature is selected from a group consisting of said target computer'"'"'s registry keys, registry values, installed executable files, disk directories and network communications; ii. compare said first feature of said target computer to first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer; iii. review a second feature of said target computer indicative of past participation in peer-to-peer network communication by the peer-to-peer client software on said target computer, said second feature consisting of determining if multimedia files are stored locally on said target computer; iv. compare said second feature of said target computer to second known information including at least a predetermined threshold count of multimedia files wherein a search is initiated on an entirety of local storage of said target computer for the multimedia files and the search is stopped when the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files is reached, the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files being indicative of the past participation by the peer-to-peer client software in the peer-to-peer network communication; v. determine that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being greater than or equal to the second known information including at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files; vi. in response to the determination that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication, disable the peer-to-peer client software and notify a network administrator of result of the comparisons; and vii. determine that the peer-to-peer client software has not been installed on said target computer and that files are not being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature not matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being less than the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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reviewing, by a processor of a computer, a first feature of a target computer indicative of installation of peer-to- peer client software on the target computer, wherein said first feature is selected from a group consisting of said target computer'"'"'s registry keys, registry values, installed executable files, disk directories and network communications; comparing said first feature of said target computer to first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer; reviewing a second feature of said target computer indicative of past participation in peer-to-peer network communication by the peer-to-peer client software on said target computer, said second feature consisting of determining if multimedia files are stored locally on an entirety of local storage of said target computer; comparing said second feature of said target computer to second known information including at least a predetermined threshold count of multimedia files wherein a search is initiated on the entirety of local storage of said target computer for the multimedia files and the search is stopped when the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files is reached, the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files being indicative of the past participation by the peer-to-peer client software in the peer-to-peer network communication; determining that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being greater than or equal to the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files; in response to the determination that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication, disabling the peer-to-peer client software and notify a network administrator of result of the comparisons; and determining that the peer-to-peer client software has not been installed on said target computer and that files are not being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature not matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being less than the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, comprising:
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program instructions that receive a first feature of a target computer indicative of installation of peer-to-peer client software on the target computer, wherein said first feature is selected from a group consisting of said target computer'"'"'s registry keys, registry values, installed executable files, disk directories and network communications; program instructions that compare said first feature of said target computer to first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer; program instructions that review a second feature of said target computer indicative of past participation in peer-to-peer network communication by the peer-to-peer client software on said target computer, said second feature consisting of determining if multimedia files are stored locally on an entirety of local storage of said target computer; program instructions that compare said second feature of said target computer to second known information including at least a predetermined threshold count of multimedia files wherein a search is initiated on the entirety of local storage of said target computer for the multimedia files and the search is stopped when the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files is reached, the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files being indicative of the past participation by the peer-to-peer client software in the peer-to-peer network communication; program instructions that determine that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being greater than or equal to the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files; program instructions that disable the peer-to-peer network client software and notify a network administrator of result of the comparisons, in response to the determination that the peer-to-peer client software has been installed on said target computer and that files are being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication; and program instructions that determine that the peer-to-peer client software has not been installed on said target computer and that files are not being shared by the target computer in the peer-to-peer network communication in response to the compare of said first feature not matching the first known information indicative of installation of the peer-to-peer client software on the target computer and the compare of said second feature being less than the second known information including the at least the predetermined threshold count of multimedia files.
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Specification