System and method for managing the execution of unauthorized programs on a university computer network
OwnerWilliam Simpsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer program directs a network server computer to maintain a program control list and to allow a user to update the program control list. The program directs a client computer to request the list of prohibited programs, to monitor programs running on the client computer, and to terminate any prohibited programs by invoking an application program interface (API) method. The client computer may use one or more of three API methods, including the SendMessage, CreateRemoteThread, and TerminateProcess Win32 API methods.
Claims27
A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for directing a computer to manage the execution of unauthorized programs on a network computer system, the computer program including code segments for:
- (a) enabling a server computer to receive and store a program control list;
- (b) enabling a client computer to request the program control list from the server computer when a user logs into the client computer;
- (c) enabling the client computer to compare a program running on the client computer with a program included in the program control list;
- and
- (d) enabling the client computer to terminate the program running on the client computer if it matches the program included in the program control list.
A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for directing a computer to manage the execution of unauthorized programs on a network computer system, the computer program including code segments for:
- (a) enabling an FTP server to receive and store a list of prohibited programs;
- (b) enabling the FTP server to allow a user to update the list of prohibited programs only if the user submits a valid username and password;
- (c) enabling the client computer to request the list of prohibited programs from the server computer when a user logs into the client computer;
- (d) enabling the client computer to request the list of prohibited programs from the server computer periodically while the user is logged into the client computer;
- (e) enabling the client computer to create a list of computer programs running on the client computer;
- (f) enabling the client computer to compare each program from the list of programs running on the client computer to each program in the list of prohibited programs;
- (g) enabling the client computer to terminate each computer program running on the client computer that matches an entry in the list of prohibited computer programs by invoking an API method;
- and
- (h) enabling the client computer to generate a user message to inform the user that the computer program was terminated due to a security violation.
A method of using a computer to manage the execution of unauthorized programs on a network computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) installing a program control list on an FTP server, wherein the control list includes names of prohibited programs;
- (b) installing a security program on a client computer as a system service, wherein the security program reads the program control list, monitors programs running on the client computer, terminates any programs running on the client computer that are included in the program control list by invoking an API method, and communicates an error message to a user relating to the terminated program;
- (c) configuring the client computer so that the security program is executed when a user logs into the client computer;
- (d) assigning the security program a high priority so that it has a higher priority than other applications;
- (e) updating the program control list on the FTP server by adding names of additional prohibited programs;
- and
- (f) updating the program control list on the FTP server by removing names of prohibited programs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.