Application selection using current detection intelligence

• US 9,245,124 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bisso, Robert Peter, Schaefer, Edward William
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): LWIN, MAUNG T
• Application Number:
  US14/297,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms

Abstract

Selecting one or more applications from the plurality of similar or near redundant applications to activate. A method includes retrieving information about current characteristics of one or more applications. The method further includes retrieving information about a current computing operational landscape. Based on the information about current characteristics of one or more applications and the information about a current computing operational landscape, the method further includes creating a ranking of applications. The rankings are made available to a system with a plurality of applications with similar or near redundant functionality. At the system, one or more of the applications in the plurality of applications are selected to activate based on the ranking of applications.

Claims

1. A physical computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors cause the following to be performed:

an information coordinator system receiving information about current characteristics of one or more applications;

receiving information from a user system indicating what applications are available at the user system;

retrieving information about a current computing operational effectiveness landscape, the information about current computing operation effective landscape comprising information about particular malware threats or spam outbreaks existing at a given time;

based on the information about current characteristics of one or more applications, information indicating what applications are available at the user system and the information about a current computing operational landscape, creating a ranking of applications; and

sending, or otherwise making available, the ranking to the user system, the user system having a plurality of applications with similar functionality available on the user system, in that the plurality of applications are stored at the user system, whereafter, at the user system one or more of the applications in the plurality of applications available on the system are selected to activate based on the ranking of applications with respect to the current computing operational landscape while one or more of the other applications in the plurality of applications are changed to a dormant state at the system based on the system determining which applications should be active on the system based on the ranking of applications.

2. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise anti-malware engines, and the current computing operation landscape comprises malware threat information.

3. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise a plurality of different web browser applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises browser vulnerability information identifying that at least one of the web browser applications is less safe to run at a given time than another one of the web browser applications, further comprising the user system activating a web browser application with the least threats in view of the current computing operation landscape.

4. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processor cause packaging the ranking into an update for an antimalware product, and wherein sending, or otherwise making available, the ranking to a system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality comprises sending the update as an update for the antimalware product at the system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality.

5. A physical computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a user system cause the following to be performed:

the user system sending information indicating what applications are available at the user system;

the user system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality available on the system, in that the plurality of applications are stored at the system, retrieving information from an information source, the information including a ranking of applications, the applications being ranked based on a current computing operational landscape, the current computing operation effective landscape comprising information about particular malware threats or spam outbreaks existing at a given time and the information indicating what applications that are available at the user system;

the user system, based on the ranking of applications with respect to the current computing operational landscape and information indicating what applications that are available at the user system, selecting one or more applications in the plurality of applications to activate; and

the user system activating the selected applications while other applications in the plurality of applications are caused to become inactive at the system based on selecting one or more applications in the plurality of applications to activate.

6. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise anti-malware engines, and the current computing operation landscape comprises malware threat information.

7. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise anti-spam applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises current spam information.

8. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise client side URL filtering applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises current URL information.

9. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise a plurality of different web browser applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises browser vulnerability information identifying that at least one of the web browser applications is less safe to run at a given time than another one of the web browser applications, further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processor cause the system to activate a web browser application with the least threats in view of the current computing operation landscape.

10. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, further wherein the ranking is packaged into an update for an antimalware product, and wherein retrieving information from an information source comprises receiving the update as an update for the antimalware product at the system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality.

11. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processor cause displaying a single common user interface irrespective of what applications are selected and activated, such that reporting actions to the user are performed through the single common interface such that from a user perspective, it appears that only a single anti-malware product is in use.

12. The physical computer readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processor cause implementing a single quarantine for a plurality of different anti-malware engines at the system, such that the plurality of different anti-malware engines at the system use the same quarantine.

13. In a computing environment, a user system comprising:

a plurality of applications with similar functionality;

at least one physical processor;

one or more computer readable media coupled to the at least one physical processor, the one or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that are executable by the at least one physical processor to cause the user system to perform the following;

the user system sending information indicating what applications are available at the user system;

the user system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality available on the system, in that the plurality of applications are stored at the system, retrieving information from an information source, the information including a ranking of applications, the applications being ranked based on a current computing operational landscape, the current computing operation effective landscape comprising information about particular malware threats or spam outbreaks existing at a given time and the information indicating what applications that are available at the user system;

the user system, based on the ranking of applications with respect to the current computing operational landscape and information indicating what applications that are available at the user system, selecting one or more applications in the plurality of applications to activate; and

the user system activating the selected applications while other applications in the plurality of applications are caused to become inactive at the user system based on the selecting of the one or more applications in the plurality of applications.

14. The user system of claim 13, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise anti-malware engines, and the current computing operation landscape comprises malware threat information.

15. The user system of claim 13, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise anti-spam applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises current spam information.

16. The user system of claim 13, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise client side URL filtering applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises current URL information.

17. The user system of claim 13, wherein the applications with similar functionality comprise a plurality of different web browser applications, and the current computing operation landscape comprises browser vulnerability information identifying that at least one of the web browser applications is less safe to run at a given time than another one of the web browser applications, wherein the one or more computer readable media further comprise computer executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the system to activate a web browser application with the least threats in view of the current computing operation landscape.

18. The user system of claim 13, further wherein the ranking is packaged into an update for an antimalware product, and wherein retrieving information from an information source comprises receiving the update as an update for the antimalware product at the system with a plurality of applications with similar functionality.

19. The user system of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer readable media further comprise computer executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause displaying a single common user interface irrespective of what applications are selected and activated, such that reporting actions to the user are performed through the single common interface such that from a user perspective, it appears that only a single anti-malware product is in use.

20. The user system of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer readable media further comprise computer executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause implementing a single quarantine for a plurality of different anti-malware engines at the system, such that the plurality of different anti-malware engines at the system use the same quarantine.