Network service for the detection, analysis and quarantine of malicious and unwanted files

A system for detecting, analyzing and quarantining unwanted files in a network environment, comprising:

• a computer processor;
• a network service accessible to computing devices in the network environment and embodied as computer executable instructions executed by the computer processor, wherein the network service includes:
• a request dispatcher configured to receive a given candidate file for inspection from a given computing device in the network environment and distribute the given candidate file to each one or more of a plurality of detection engines,
• the plurality of detection engines operating in parallel with each other to analyze the given candidate file and output a report regarding the given candidate file, where each of the plurality of detection engines analyzes the given candidate file using a different detection algorithm and logs an indicia for the given candidate file in a file history data store;
• a result aggregator configured to receive reports from one or more of the detection engines regarding the given candidate file and aggregates the reports in accordance with an aggregation algorithm;
• the file history data store that stores an indicia for each of a plurality of candidate files analyzed by the network service along with an indicia of the computing device from which each of the candidate files were received;
• and
• a retrospective detector associated with the network service and configured, upon detection of an unwanted candidate file deemed unwanted by the network service, to search the plurality of candidate files for any files that match the unwanted candidate file and perform corrective actions in relation to any files that match the unwanted candidate file.