Centralized Malware Scan Sharing for Network Resource Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Client devices within a network often perform redundant malware scans, consuming resources and causing temporary performance degradation, as they independently scan files that could be identical across devices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method where a server performs malware scans on copies of files stored on client devices and shares the results with the devices, eliminating the need for redundant scans by identifying and obtaining copies of files, performing scans, and distributing the results to client devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each client device performs independent malware scans on their files, then each device can detect malware on its own files, but redundant scanning occurs consuming excessive processing power and battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent malware scanning operations into a single centralized scanning operation. Multiple client devices upload file copies to a server, which then performs one malware scan that benefits all contributing devices, eliminating redundant scanning and reducing overall energy consumption across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses file copies instead of original files for scanning. Client devices create and upload copies of their files to the server for malware scanning, allowing the original files to remain on the client devices while the copies are scanned centrally. This enables resource-efficient scanning without affecting the client devices' original file integrity.
2Reliability
If each client device performs independent malware scans, then local security is maintained, but network performance degradation occurs due to redundant scanning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between client devices and the malware scanning process. The server acts as a mediator that receives file copies from multiple clients, performs the scanning operation, and distributes results back to all contributing devices. This intermediary approach maintains security coverage while eliminating the performance degradation caused by multiple independent scanning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple scanning operations into a single centralized operation performed by the server. Instead of each client device executing its own malware scanner (which causes network performance degradation), all clients contribute files to a single scanning operation whose results are shared with all participants.
3Reliability
If client devices perform redundant malware scans on identical files, then comprehensive scanning coverage is achieved, but resource consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses file copies for centralized scanning, allowing the system to scan files once centrally while all client devices that contributed files benefit from the scan results. This copying approach maintains comprehensive scanning coverage (since the server scans all contributed files) while eliminating the energy waste of each device scanning identical or duplicate files independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a form of self-service where client devices that upload files for scanning automatically receive the scan results without needing to perform their own scanning operations. The server performs the scanning work on behalf of all contributing devices, and each device 'pays' for this service by providing file copies, eliminating redundant energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for sharing the results of malware scans within networks may include (1) identifying a set of files stored on a set of client devices within a network, (2) obtaining a set of copies of the files stored on the client devices within the network, (3) performing a malware scan on the copies of the files, (4) generating a result of the malware scan performed on the copies of the files, and then (5) sharing the result of the malware scan with at least a subset of the client devices within the network to enable the subset of client devices to use the result of the malware scan instead of each performing an additional malware scan that is at least partially redundant to the malware scan performed on the copies of the files. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.