Computer virus rejection system and method

A computer virus rejection system for use in connection with a computer having an operating system, for precluding access to the operating system of the computer by a computer virus carried with an incoming message directed to the computer, the incoming message including incoming message data, the system comprising:

• a containment field device separate from and parallel to the operating system of the computer;
• a containment operator device for treating incoming message data so as to direct the incoming message data to the containment field device and maintain the incoming message data quarantined from the operating system;
• a scanner for scanning the quarantined message data;
• and
• a comparator for diagnosing the quarantined message data scanned by the scanner to detect any aberrant data contained within the quarantined message data, for rejecting any quarantined message data within which aberrant data is detected so as to preclude entry of the aberrant data into the operating system of the computer, and for admitting into the operating system of the computer any quarantined message data determined not to contain aberrant data.