Networks Associates Technology, Inc.

Mcafee, Inc.

Barrett Tuttle

James Malcolm Vignoles

Paul Nicholas Gartside

Update status field information () is associated with a computer file () indicating the update status of a scanner () that has previously scanned that computer file. A current scanner encountering that computer file again may examine the update status field information to determine if they match, if the update status field information does not match, then this indicates that one of the scanners concerned is out-of-date and an appropriate alert message relating to this out-of-date scanner is then generated and issued. The update status field information includes a scanner product identifier, a machine identifier, a scanner engine version identifier and a driver version identifier.

Update status alerting for a malware scanner

A library of anti computer virus test drivers is provided with classifications for the drivers which may be used to select the applied drivers in dependence upon which anti computer virus program is using that library. The library is typically shared between a suite of anti computer virus programs. The drivers are also classified with information that allows them to be placed in a priority order for application when scanning. In this way, the drivers that protect against the most threatening viruses may be checked for first and accordingly the highest level of protection achieved if the scanning process is early terminated.

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Aylesbury, United Kingdom

Barrett Tuttle