Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for intercepting, examining and controlling code, data and files and their transfer

• US 20020198945A1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cybersoft, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cybersoft, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Mark G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture are claimed for processing stored and forwarded code comprising the transferring of the stored and forwarded code from a storage area to a transfer component, wherein the code is passed to a proscribed code scanner. The proscribed code seamier indicates the presence or absence of proscribed code, which may be a virus, confidential material, harassing material, etc. and provides the indication back to the transfer component, wherein the code may be quarantined or otherwise intercepted depending upon the results of the scan. The especially preferred embodiments operate within a UNIX sendmail environment.

Claims

1. A method for processing stored and forwarded code comprising:

transferring code, from a storage component, to a transfer component;

transferring said code, from said transfer component, to a proscribed code scanner;

indicating, via said proscribed code scanner to said transfer component, whether said code contains proscribed code; and

,

transferring said code to at least one secondary storage component based on said indication.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of transferring said code from said at least one secondary storage component to a subsequent code transfer component,

3. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of sorting said code prior to transfer to said at least one secondary storage component.

4. A method as in claim 3 further comprising the step of transferring code to at least two secondary storage components, with a first of at least two secondary storage components receiving smaller stored and forwarded code groups and a second of at least two secondary storage components receiving larger stored and forwarded code groups.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said code comprises email.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein said code comprises email.

6. A method for processing stored and forwarded code comprising

transferring code, from a storage component, to a first transfer component;

sorting said code;

transferring said code, based on the results of said sort, to at least one first secondary storage component;

transferring said code from at least one first secondary storage component to at least one secondary transfer component;

transferring said code, from said at least one first secondary transfer component to a proscribed code scanner;

indicating, via said proscribed code scanner to said at least one first transfer component, whether said code contains proscribed code; and

,

transferring said code from at least one first secondary transfer component to at least one second secondary storage component based on said indication.

7. A method as in claim 6 further comprising the step of transferring said code from said at least one secondary storage component to a subsequent code transfer component.

8. A method as in claim 6 wherein the step of sorting said code further comprises sorting the code by size.

10. A method for processing stored and forwarded email, using sendmail, comprising:

transferring email, from a sendmail queue, to a transfer component;

transferring email, from said transfer component, to a proscribed code scanner;

indicating, via said proscribed code scanner to said transfer component, whether said email contains proscribed code; and

,

transferring said email to at least one secondary sendmail queue based on said indication.

11. A method as in claim 10 further comprising the step of transferring said email from said at least one secondary sendmail queue to a subsequent sendmail process.

12. A method as in claim 10 further comprising the step of sorting said email prior to transfer to said at least one secondary sendmail queue.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the step of sorting said email prior to transfer to said at least one secondary sendmail queue component further comprises sorting the email by size.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said code comprises email.

14. An computerized apparatus for processing stored and forwarded code comprising:

a storage component;

a transfer component;

a proscribed code scanner; and

,

a first and a second secondary storage component;

wherein code, stored in said storage component, is transferred to said transfer component, and therefrom transferred to said proscribed code scanner, which, after scanning said code, indicates to said transfer component as to the presence of proscribed code, and said transfer component transfers said code to either said first or second secondary storage component based upon the presence or absence of proscribed code as indicated by said proscribed code scanner.

16. An apparatus as in 14 wherein said storage component is a sendmail queue.

17. An apparatus for processing stored and forwarded email, using sendmail, comprising:

a sendmail queue;

a transfer component;

a proscribed code scanner; and

,

a first and a second secondary storage component;

wherein email, stored in said sendmail queue, is transferred to said transfer component, and therefrom transferred to said proscribed code scanner, which, after scanning said email, indicates to said transfer component as to the presence of proscribed code, and said transfer component transfers said code to either said first or second secondary sendmail queue based upon the presence or absence of proscribed code as indicated by said proscribed code scanner.

18. An article for:

a computer-readable signal bearing medium;

storage means in the medium for storing code;

transfer means in the medium for transferring said stored code to a proscribed code scanner;

proscribed code scanner means in the medium for scanning said code for proscribed code and indicating to said transfer means whether said code contains proscribed code; and

,

a first and second secondary storage means in the medium for storing said code based upon the presence or absence of proscribed code as indicated by said proscribed code scanner means.

19. A method for processing stored and forwarded code comprising:

transferring code, from a storage component, to a transfer component;

transferring said code, from said transfer component, to a proscribed code scanner;

indicating, via said proscribed code scanner, whether said code contains proscribed code;

transferring said code to a subsequent code transfer component based on said indication.