System, method, and computer program product for conveying a status of a plurality of security applications

• US 7,305,709 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Kingsbury, Brad, Ritter, Chris, Lymer, Brent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/325,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 726/24, 726/25, 726/11
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for displaying a status of a security application. A status of at least one security application is initially identified. An index is calculated that is representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application. The index is then displayed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index includes a number between one (1) and ten (10).

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of indices are each calculated for one of a plurality of security applications.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the security applications include security applications selected from the group consisting of the anti-virus security application, a firewall security application, a privacy service security application, and an anti-spam security application.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of the anti-virus security application.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of a firewall security application.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is associated with the status of a privacy service security application.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed numerically.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed graphically.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the index is displayed utilizing a bar-graph.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the index is displayed utilizing a color coding.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the color coding correlates with the degree of risk associated with the status.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising displaying additional information relating to the status upon the selection of the displayed index.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the additional information includes a link capable of being selected by a user.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, and further comprising taking an action to decrease the degree of risk associated with the status, in response to the selection of the link by the user.

16. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index is associated with the status of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the index reflects a signature file of the anti-virus security application.

17. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index is associated with the status of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the index reflects a version of the anti-virus security application.

18. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index is associated with the status of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the index is calculated using a weighted average of a plurality of aspects of the anti-virus security application selected from the group consisting of a signature file of the anti-virus security application and a version of the anti-virus security application.

19. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index is associated with the status of a firewall security application;

wherein the index reflects a version of the firewall security application.

20. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index is associated with the status of a privacy service security application;

wherein the index reflects a version of the privacy service security application.

21. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of at least one security application;

calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

displaying the index;

wherein the index includes an overall index reflecting a plurality of security applications.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the overall index is calculated using a weighted average of a plurality of separate indices associated with each of the security applications.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing instructions for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

computer code for identifying a status of at least one security application;

computer code for calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

computer code for displaying the index.

24. A system for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

means for identifying a status of at least one security application,

means for calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application, and

means for displaying the index.

25. A system for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

one or more storage units for storing computer code for identifying a status of at least one security application and calculating an index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application; and

a display device for displaying the index using a graphical user interface wherein the index reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application.

26. A method, comprising:

determining a degree of risk associated with a plurality of security aspects associated with a computing environment of a computer; and

visually displaying the degree of risk associated with the security aspects utilizing a plurality of visual indicators;

wherein the degree of risk reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application.

27. A method, comprising:

identifying a status of a plurality of security applications;

calculating an individual index representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of each of the security applications, wherein each individual index is calculated using a plurality of aspects of the status of the security applications;

calculating an overall index representative of a degree of risk associated with a collective status of the security applications, the calculating of the overall index including a weighted average of the individual indices associated with each of the security applications; and

displaying each individual index and the overall index;

wherein the overall index reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the overall index reflects versions of the security applications.

28. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the colored indicator includes a red color to indicate that the security application is at least one of not installed, disabled and expired.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the colored indictor further includes at least one of amber and green.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the color includes amber to indicate that the security application is exhibiting an intermediate degree of vulnerability.

31. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the colored indictor includes a color selected from the group consisting of red, amber, and green;

wherein the color includes red to indicate that the security application is at least one of not installed, disabled, and expired.

32. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the colored indictor includes a color selected from the group consisting of red, amber, and green;

wherein the color includes green to indicate that the security application is at least one of installed and running.

33. A method, comprising:

determining a degree of risk associated with at least one security aspect associated with a computing environment of a computer; and

visually displaying the degree of risk associated with the at least one security aspect utilizing at least one visual indicator;

wherein the degree of risk reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application.

34. A method, comprising:

determining a degree of risk associated with at least one security aspect associated with a computing environment of a computer; and

visually displaying the degree of risk associated with the at least one security aspect utilizing at least one visual indicator;

wherein the degree of risk reflects a version of an anti-virus security application.

35. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the status reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application.

36. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the status reflects a version of an anti-virus security application.

37. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the status reflects a signature file of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the status reflects whether the anti-virus security application enabled;

wherein the anti-virus security application is at least one of enabled or disabled upon a manual selection;

wherein a scan icon is included for scanning data upon selection of the scan icon.

38. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the status reflects a version of an anti-virus security application;

wherein the status reflects whether the anti-virus security application enabled;

wherein the anti-virus security application is at least one of enabled or disabled upon a manual selection;

wherein a scan icon is included for scanning data upon selection of the scan icon.

39. A method for displaying a status of a security application, comprising:

identifying a status of a security application;

representing the status of the security application in the form of a colored indicator; and

displaying the colored indicator;

wherein the colored indicator includes a red color to indicate that the security application is at least one of not installed, disabled, and expired;

wherein the colored indicator includes a green color to indicate that the security application is at least one of installed and running.