File Reputation System Using Hash-Based Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reputation systems only provide ratings for websites, not individual files, leading to manual and potentially risky assessments of file safety, as users often learn about harmful files through personal experience or hearsay.
Innovation Solution
A reputation system that identifies and assigns a reputation to individual files by scanning them for undesirable characteristics and storing this information in a database, allowing for automated and distributed management and use in enhancing file security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If prior art systems review files from a website to determine site reputation, then the reputation of the website can be established, but individual file reputation cannot be determined automatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the website reputation assessment into individual file-level assessments. Instead of treating the website as a single entity, the system analyzes each file separately by extracting its unique identifier (e.g., MD5 hash) and evaluating it independently, thereby enabling precise automated file reputation determination while maintaining overall site reputation context.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a file identifier (such as an MD5 hash) as an intermediary between the file content and the reputation database. This intermediary enables automated lookup and comparison without requiring manual analysis of each file's actual content, thus achieving automated file reputation determination while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If manual assessment of file safety is performed by users, then individual file reputation can be evaluated, but the process is time-consuming and potentially risky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-scanning files and storing their reputation information in a database before users need to access them. When a user requests a file, the system has already evaluated its safety and stored the result, enabling instant retrieval without requiring users to wait for manual or real-time analysis, thus eliminating time loss while maintaining precise safety assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically evaluating file safety without requiring user intervention. The automated system performs the assessment, stores the reputation data, and makes it available for immediate use, freeing users from the time-consuming and risky manual assessment process while maintaining accurate file safety evaluation.
3Ease of operation
If users download files without knowing their safety status, then file access is convenient, but harmful files may execute and cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively identifying and blocking harmful files before they can execute on the user's system. The system checks the file's reputation against the database, and if the file is identified as malicious, it prevents download or execution entirely. This approach maintains ease of operation for legitimate files while eliminating malware execution risk through pre-emptive security measures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reputation database as an intermediary between the file and the user's system. Before a file can be downloaded or executed, its reputation is checked through this intermediary database. This intermediary layer provides a security checkpoint that maintains convenience for safe files while blocking harmful ones, thereby preventing malware execution without significantly impacting legitimate file access.
Data Source
AI summary
A reputation system, method and computer program product are provided. In use, a file associated with a first computer is identified. Thereafter, a reputation associated with the file stored at a second computer is obtained.