System, method and computer program product for detecting unwanted data using a rendered format

• US 8,406,523 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: McGuigan, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US11/297,628
• Time in Patent Office: 2,666 Days
• Field of Search: 382155-161, 382/176, 382/182
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for detecting unwanted data. In use, data is rendered, after which it may be determined whether the rendered data is unwanted, utilizing either a neural network or optical character recognition.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data including human-readable visual text and hidden text, wherein the hidden text is text included in the data that is not human-readable;

rendering the data including converting the data into graphically formatted data, wherein the visual text is retained within the rendered data and the hidden text is removed from the rendered data by the rendering by converting the hidden text into a graphically formatted representation of the hidden text such that the hidden text is not recognizable by optical character recognition of the graphically formatted representation of the hidden text; and

determining whether the visual text within the rendered data is unwanted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes an electronic message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received utilizing a network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a graphical format of the graphically formatted data is selected from the group consisting of PICT, GIF, TIFF, PNG, EPS, BMP, PCX, and JPEG.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the rendered data is unwanted, utilizing optical character recognition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical character recognition outputs visual text recognized from the rendered data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein it is determined whether the rendered data is unwanted by detecting indicators associated with the visual text.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a score is output based on the detected indicators.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the rendered data is unwanted, utilizing a neural network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein it is determined whether the rendered data is unwanted by performing an edge-detection operation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the edge-detection operation identifies at least one object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the neural network samples parameters of the at least one object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameters are selected from the group consisting of color, shape, depth, and tone.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein it is determined whether the rendered data is unwanted by detecting indicators associated with the samples.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a percentage is output based on the detected indicators.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered data is changed by changing at least one of a resolution, a depth, and an area to be analyzed.

17. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for receiving data including human-readable visual text and hidden text, wherein the hidden text is text included in the data that is not human-readable;

computer code for rendering the data including converting the data into graphically formatted data, wherein the visual text is retained within the rendered data and the hidden text is removed from the rendered data by the rendering by converting the hidden text into a graphically formatted representation of the hidden text such that the hidden text is not recognizable by optical character recognition of the graphically formatted representation of the hidden text; and

computer code for determining whether the visual text within the rendered data is unwanted.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data;

a renderer for receiving data including human-readable visual text and hidden text, wherein the hidden text is text included in the data that is not human-readable, and rendering the data including converting the data into graphically formatted data, wherein the visual text is retained within the rendered data and the hidden text is removed from the rendered data by the rendering by converting the hidden text into a graphically formatted representation of the hidden text such that the hidden text is not recognizable by optical character recognition of the graphically formatted representation of the hidden text; and

a module in communication with the renderer, the module adapted for being used in determining whether the visual text within the rendered data is unwanted.