Reducing the Spread of Viruses and Errors in Social Networks and Affinity Groups
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJudith H. Bank, Liam Harpur, Ruthie D. Lyle, Patrick J. O'Sullivan, Lin Sun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An approach is provided to reduce the spread of malware within a group of users. In the approach, a malware program (e.g., virus, Trojan, worm, etc.) is detected at a system that is utilized by one of the users that is a member of a peer affinity group. Event data pertaining to the detected malware program is gathered at the user's system. A notification is provided to the other users included in the peer affinity group. The notification identifies the detected malware program and the event data that was gathered at the user's system.
Claims20
A method of notifying a peer affinity group of a malware program, the method, implemented by an information handling system, comprising:
- detecting the malware program by the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is utilized by a first user that is a member of the peer affinity group;
- gathering a plurality of event data from one or more accessible data sources by the first user's information handling system, wherein the event data pertains to the detected malware program;
- and
- transmitting, by the first user's information handling system, a notification to a plurality of users included in the peer affinity group, wherein the notification identifies the detected malware program and includes the gathered event data.
An information handling system comprising:
- a plurality of processors;
- a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;
- a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors to reduce a malware infestation, wherein the set of instructions perform actions of:
- detecting the malware program by the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is utilized by a first user that is a member of the peer affinity group;
- gathering a plurality of event data from one or more accessible data sources by the first user's information handling system, wherein the event data pertains to the detected malware program;
- and
- transmitting, by the first user's information handling system, a notification to a plurality of users included in the peer affinity group, wherein the notification identifies the detected malware program and includes the gathered event data.
A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising computer instructions that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:
- detecting the malware program by the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is utilized by a first user that is a member of the peer affinity group;
- gathering a plurality of event data from one or more accessible data sources by the first user's information handling system, wherein the event data pertains to the detected malware program;
- and
- transmitting, by the first user's information handling system, a notification to a plurality of users included in the peer affinity group, wherein the notification identifies the detected malware program and includes the gathered event data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.