Trusted Files Database Population Using Access Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trusted files databases for anti-virus applications take a long time to populate, especially on devices with large numbers of files, as they scan all files to identify trustworthy ones, which can be irrelevant and frequently changing, thereby consuming significant memory and processing resources.
Innovation Solution
A method to quickly populate a trusted files database by identifying files likely to be accessed based on usage patterns, digital signatures, and relationships to already trusted files, excluding frequently altered data files, and using a public key infrastructure for verification, to reduce the number of files that need to be scanned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all files are scanned to populate the trusted files database, then the database will be comprehensive, but the time and processing resources required will be excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential files needed for the trusted files database by identifying files associated with shortcuts, startup processes, and frequently accessed applications. This selective extraction approach builds a focused trusted files database without scanning all files on the device, thereby reducing population time while maintaining reliability for critical files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of likely trusted files using heuristics such as file location, associations with known trusted applications, and usage patterns before the actual scanning process. This preliminary action pre-filters the file set, reducing the scope of subsequent scanning and accelerating database population.
2Reliability
If all files are scanned to populate the trusted files database, then the database will be comprehensive, but the processing resources consumed will be significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential files needed for the trusted files database by identifying files associated with shortcuts, startup processes, and frequently accessed applications. This selective extraction approach builds a focused trusted files database without scanning all files on the device, thereby reducing processing resources while maintaining reliability for critical files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial scanning by focusing only on files that are likely to be trusted based on heuristics such as file location, associations with known trusted applications, and usage patterns. This partial action approach scans a subset of files rather than all files, reducing processing resource consumption while achieving sufficient coverage for the trusted files database.
3Productivity
If frequently accessed files are included in the trusted files database, then scan performance is improved, but the database size and memory usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by categorizing files into different trust levels based on their characteristics and associations. Rather than treating all files uniformly, it assigns different inclusion priorities to files based on their location, associations with trusted applications, and usage patterns. This allows the database to focus on high-value files that will most improve scan performance while limiting the inclusion of less critical files.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for populating a trusted files database for an anti-virus application. A determination is made from several files stored in a file system of a set of files likely to be accessed from the file system. For each file that is likely to be accessed from the file system, a further determination is made to ascertain if the file is trusted by the anti-virus application. If the file is likely to be accessed from the file system, and is trusted, then it is identified in a trusted files database. By only including files that are likely to be accessed by the file system, the time to populate the trusted files database is greatly reduced.