Virus checking and reporting for computer database search results

An apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a computer database including a plurality of records;
• and
• (b) a program configured to access the computer database in response to a search request to generate a result set, the result set identifying a plurality of result records from the plurality of records, and the program further configured to access virus status information associated with at least a portion of the plurality of result records, and generate a display representation of at least a portion of the result set based upon the virus status information, wherein the program is configured to generate the display representation by highlighting display information associated with a selected result record from the result set in the display representation if virus status information associated with the selected result record indicates one of (1) that the selected result record is trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus, and (2) that the selected result record is not trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus.

An apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a computer database including a plurality of records, and
• (b) a program configured to access the computer database in response to a search request to generate a result set, the result set identifying a plurality of result records from the plurality of records, and the program further configured to access virus status information associated with at least a portion of the plurality of result records, and generate a display representation of at least a portion of the result set based upon the virus status information, wherein the program is configured to generate the display representation by highlighting display information associated with a selected result record from the result set in the display representation if virus status information associated with the selected result record indicates that the selected result record is trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus.

An apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a computer database including a plurality of records;
• and
• (b) a program configured to access the computer database in response to a search request to generate a result set, the result set identifying a plurality of result records from the plurality of records, and the program further configured to access virus status information associated with at least a portion of the plurality of result records, and generate a display representation of at least a portion of the result set based upon the virus status information, wherein the program is configured to generate the display representation by highlighting display information associated with a selected result record from the result set in the display representation if virus status information associated with the selected result record indicates that the selected result record is not trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus.

A program product, comprising:

• (a) a program configured to access a computer database in response to a search request to generate a result set, the result set identifying a plurality of result records from the computer database, and the program further configured to access virus status information associated with at least a portion of the plurality of result records, and to generate a display representation of at least a portion of the result set based upon the virus status information, wherein the program is configured to generate the display representation by highlighting display information associated with a selected result record from the result set in the display representation if virus status information associated with the selected result record indicates one of (1) that the selected result record is trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus, and (2) that the selected result record is not trusted to be a low risk for infection by a computer virus;
• and
• (b) a signal bearing medium bearing the program.

An apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a virus database configured to store virus status information for a plurality of files;
• and
• (b) a first computer within which is resident a program configured to receive virus status information generated by a plurality of computers, the virus status information generated by each of the plurality of computers associated with at least one file accessible by the respective computer from the plurality of computers, the program further configured to store the virus status information for each file in the virus database, and to authenticate received virus status information prior to storing the received virus status information in the virus database.

A program product, comprising:

• (a) a program resident in a first computer and configured to receive virus status information generated by a plurality of computers, the virus status information generated by each of the plurality of computers associated with at least one file accessible by the respective computer from the plurality of computers, the program further configured to store the virus status information for the file in a virus database accessible by the first computer, and to authenticate received virus status information prior to storing the received virus status information in the virus database;
• and
• (b) a signal bearing medium bearing the program.