International Business Machines Corporation

Internet Security Systems, Inc.

Timothy David Dodd

Marshall Thomas Vandegrift

Christopher S Singer

Kevin Michael Skapinetz

Sharon A Millar

Robert David Zobel

David Gerald Nesfeder, Jr

Curtis Evan Ide

Scott Mewett

Bobby J Williams

Martin D Sells

Kevin A Overcash

David A Dennerline

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for executing a process within a virtual machine. A module is injected into an operating system for the virtual machine to form an injected module. The injected module is executed to load an agent process within an application space within the virtual machine. Execution of the agent process is initiated by the injected module.

Context agent injection using virtual machine introspection

Managing the selection and scheduling of security audits run on a computing network. The computer network is surveyed by a security audit system to determine the function and relative importance of the elements in the network. Based on function and priority, a more thorough type of security audit is selected to run against each of the network elements by the security audit system. The security audit can also be automatically scheduled based on the information gathered from the survey. Once the system runs the security audit, a vulnerability assessment can be calculated for each element in the network. The vulnerability assessment can be presented in a format that facilitates interpretation and response by someone operating the system. The vulnerability assessment can also be used to configure and schedule future security audits.

Method and system for configuring and scheduling security audits of a computer network

A method and system identifies, fixes, and updates security vulnerabilities in a host computer or host computers. The present invention can communicate between a scanner with plug-in capability, an operating system, and an express update package. The architectural set-up can allow exploits within the scanner and exploits in the express update package to function with no knowledge of each other. The user also needs no knowledge of whether the exploits are within the scanner or the express update package. Mutual authentication procedures can enable the scanner to load only legitimate express update packages, and can provide that express update packages can only be loaded into legitimate scanners.

Method and system for identifying, fixing, and updating security vulnerabilities

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Tucker, GA, United States of America

Timothy David Dodd