Online Risk Mitigation

• US 20100162391A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Loveland, Shawn, Haber, Elliott Jeb, Hulten, Geoffrey J., Scarrow, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy

Abstract

Online risk mitigation techniques are described. In an implementation, a service is queried for a reputation associated with an object from an online source in response to selection of the object. A backup of a client that is to receive the object is stored prior to obtaining the object when the reputation does not meet a threshold reputation level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

querying a service for a reputation associated with an object from an online source, responsive to selection of the object; and

storing a backup of a client that is to receive the object prior to obtaining the object when the reputation does not meet a threshold reputation level.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the object is one or more of:

a program,

an application,

a plug-in, or

web content.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising sending a notification that the reputation does not meet the threshold reputation level.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising isolating an automatic backup of the client, which is scheduled to occur after the object is obtained, when the reputation does not meet the threshold reputation level.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the isolating includes suspending the automatic backup.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the backup is stored external to the client.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising sending a notification, that recommends restoration the client with the backup when the reputation does not meet the threshold reputation level.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising providing an estimated risk level associated with the object before obtaining the object.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the threshold reputation level is heuristically determined.

10. A system comprising:

a reputation module configured to query a service for a reputation associated with an object requested in an online session by a client; and

a backup module to automatically create a virtual environment such that the object is isolated, within the virtual environment, from a backup of data of the client that is stored prior to receiving the object, responsive to a determination that the reputation does not meet a threshold reputation level.

11. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the object is one or more of:

web content associated with a uniform resource locator,

an application, or

a plug-in.

12. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the backup module is configured to discard the virtual environment upon termination of an online session with a source that contains the object.

13. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the backup module is configured to send a notification that offers to restore the client to a state represented in the backup, responsive to a determination that the client is infected with malware.

14. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the reputation module is configured to cache a response to the query in the client.

15. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the backup module is configured to isolate a copy of the backup remote from the backup that is stored on the client.

16. One or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that are executable to generate a service that is operable to:

query for a reputation associated with web content that is designated by a uniform resource locator (URL) before the web content is accessed; and

store a backup of data of a client to restore the client to a state before the web content was accessed when the reputation does not meet a threshold reputation level for the client.

17. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the service is installed on the client.

18. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the threshold level is set by the client.

19. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the backup is stored locally with the service.

20. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the service is configured to create a virtual environment within the client to browse the web content, in which the virtual environment is discarded when a browser, used to output the web content, is closed.