System and Method of Securing Monitoring Devices on a Public Network

A method for determining whether or not a monitor is registered with a security service, the method comprising:

• automatically determining whether or not a communication port of the monitor is enabled to communicate with the a public network;
• automatically determining whether or not the public network can actually be accessed via the communication port when it is determined that the communication port is enabled to communicate with the public network;
• and
• automatically contacting the security service and providing the security service with information sufficient to determine whether or not the monitoring device is registered with the security service, when it is determined that the public network can actually be accessed via the communication port.

A method for determining whether or not a monitor is registered with a security service, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a monitor to determine whether or not the monitor is registered with the security service;
• determining whether or not the monitor is registered with the security service device;
• and
• automatically contacting an owner of the unregistered monitor when it is determined that the monitor is not currently registered with the security service.

A method of performing a security scan of a monitor, the method comprising:

• retrieving at least one security preference for a monitor that is registered with a security service;
• checking the registered monitor based on the security preference;
• and
• determining whether or not the registered monitor meets the security preference based on a result of the monitor check.

A security service device comprising:

• an electronic data storage medium;
• and
• an electronic data processing device;
• wherein the security service device is configured to:
• use a device search engine to perform a search for and find a monitor;
• and
• when the found monitor is not currently registered with the security service device, automatically contact an owner of the unregistered monitor.

A monitoring device comprising:

• an electronic data storage medium;
• an electronic data processing device;
• and
• at least one communication port;
• wherein the monitoring device is configured to:
• automatically determine whether or not the communication port is enabled to communicate with the public network;
• when the communication port is enabled to communicate with the public network, automatically determine whether or not the public network can actually be accessed via the communication port;
• and
• when the public network can actually be accessed via the communication port, automatically contact a security service and provide the security service with information sufficient to determine whether or not the monitoring device is registered with the security service.

A security service device comprising:

• an electronic data storage medium;
• and
• an electronic data processing device;
• wherein the security service device is configured to:
• receive a request from a monitor to determine whether or not the monitor is registered with the security service device;
• determine whether or not the monitor is registered with the security service device;
• and
• when the monitor is not currently registered with the security service device, automatically contact an owner of the unregistered monitor.

A security service device comprising:

• an electronic data storage medium;
• and
• an electronic data processing device;
• wherein the security service device is configured to:
• retrieve at least one security preference for a monitor that is registered with the security service device;
• check the registered monitor based on the security preference;
• and
• determine whether or not the registered monitor meets the security preference based on a result of the monitor check.