Anti-virus File System Cache for OS Remediation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for operating system remediation are inadequate in addressing malware attacks on configuration files and system service files, as they are manual, performance-intensive, and often result in loss of user data during ransomware attacks, with backup and restoration processes being unsafe during such incidents.

Innovation Solution

A computerized method intercepts I/O requests to system files, stores restore copies in the system cache, and uses malware detection metadata to revert files to a pre-malware state, ensuring automatic remediation and data recovery with minimal user intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual backup processes are used to protect system files from malware, then user control and flexibility are improved, but the complexity of operation and time required for remediation increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of remediation operationVSAvoidtime for creating restore files
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates restore copies of system files in advance and stores them in a dedicated cache before malware infections occur. This preliminary action ensures that when malware is detected, the system can immediately restore files from the pre-created cache without requiring manual backup creation or lengthy restoration processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically monitors system files, detects malware modifications, and performs restoration from cache without requiring user intervention. The anti-virus application autonomously manages the entire remediation process including detecting infected files, comparing them with cached versions, and restoring clean files, thereby eliminating manual operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If exhaustive system-level remediation is performed to ensure complete malware removal, then reliability of remediation is improved, but the performance overhead and resource consumption become excessive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of remediationVSAvoidsystem performance during remediation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the remediation process into targeted segments focused only on infected system files rather than performing exhaustive full-system scans. By maintaining a cache of specific system files that are most commonly targeted by malware, the system can quickly identify and restore only the affected files, thereby maintaining high reliability while minimizing performance overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and maintains cached copies of critical system files in a dedicated storage area. When malware infection is detected, the system directly restores files from these pre-existing copies rather than performing complex analysis or reconstruction, thereby ensuring reliable restoration while maintaining system productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Quantity of substance

If network-based backup solutions are used for ransomware protection, then storage capacity and backup options are improved, but security during active attacks deteriorates due to network vulnerability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackup storage capacityVSAvoidnetwork security vulnerability during attack
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a local cache as an intermediary storage layer between the system files and external network backup solutions. This local cache stores restore copies of system files in a secure, offline location that is not accessible during active ransomware attacks, thereby eliminating network security vulnerabilities while maintaining adequate backup storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a secure, isolated environment for storing restore copies in the local cache, effectively creating an 'inert' storage space that is protected from network-based ransomware attacks. This isolated storage environment ensures that even if the network is compromised, the backup copies remain secure and accessible for restoration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

4Measurement precision

If comprehensive file monitoring is implemented to detect all malware modifications, then detection precision is improved, but the computational overhead and processing time increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of malware detectionVSAvoidcomputational energy for file monitoring
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies enhanced monitoring and detection resources specifically to system files that are stored in the cache and are most commonly targeted by malware, rather than uniformly monitoring all files in the system. This localized approach to file quality monitoring maintains high detection precision for critical files while reducing overall computational energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3724801B1Anti-virus file system cache for operating system remediation
Publication Date: 2023.05.31 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3724801B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3724801B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3724801B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for operating system remediation intercepts input/output (I/O) requests to write to one or more files and stores, as file restore data, (i) a restore copy of the one or more files to the system cache prior to performing write operations of the I/O requests and (ii) identification information for one or more processes or entities making the corresponding I/O requests in the system cache. The system reverts to the restore copy of the one or more files using the file restore data and based at least on a later determination that one or more processes making the corresponding I/O requests was malware. A current version of the one or more files is thereby replaced with the restore copy of the one or more files with improved automatic remediation support and a greater likelihood that data can be restored from the cache in the case of malware attacks.