Conditional Pre-Install Malware Scan for Anti-Malware Software
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing malware detection and installation software face challenges in effectively installing anti-malware software on systems already infected with malware, as malware can prevent the installation or make it ineffective, leading to increased download sizes and installation times.
Innovation Solution
A technique that performs a risk assessment before installation, determining if the system is in a risky state due to malware presence, and only conducts a pre-install scan and clean operation if necessary, thereby reducing the initial download size and installation time by omitting unnecessary components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-install scan and clean operation is always performed, then malware prevention reliability is improved, but installation time and download size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a risk assessment before the main installation to determine if a pre-install scan is necessary. This preliminary action identifies systems that are already infected, allowing the installer to conditionally execute the scan only when needed, thus avoiding unnecessary installation time delays for clean systems while maintaining security for infected systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the pre-install scan dynamic and conditional rather than static and mandatory. The scan execution is adjusted based on the risk assessment results, allowing the installation process to adapt its behavior to the specific state of the target system, optimizing the balance between security and installation efficiency.
2Reliability
If a pre-install scan and clean operation is always performed, then malware detection capability is improved, but download size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The risk assessment is performed as a preliminary action before determining whether to include or execute the pre-install scan components. This allows the system to download and prepare only the necessary scan components for systems that need them, reducing unnecessary data transfer and download size for systems that do not require scanning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of scan execution from a fixed state (always on) to a variable state (conditional based on risk assessment). This allows the download size and resource allocation to be adjusted dynamically based on the actual needs of the target system, optimizing the quantity of data transferred.
3Reliability
If malware is detected during installation, then system security is improved, but installation success rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The risk assessment acts as an intermediary between the installation process and the pre-install scan execution. It mediates by identifying infected systems and triggering the appropriate scan and clean operations, allowing the installation to proceed successfully on clean systems while ensuring security measures are applied to infected systems, thereby maintaining both security and installation success.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the risk assessment results directly influence the subsequent installation steps. The system receives feedback about the system's infection status and adjusts the installation process accordingly, ensuring that security measures are applied only when necessary, thus maintaining high installation success rates while preserving system security.
Data Source
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AI summary
A technique for improving the installation of anti-malware software performs an analysis of a computer on which anti-malware software is to be installed prior to complete installation of the anti-malware software. If the analysis determines that the computer may already contain malware, then an attempt may be made to scan and clean the computer prior to the installation of a portion of the anti-malware software. Otherwise, the pre- installation scan and clean may be bypassed, allowing the installation of that portion of the anti-malware software.