Social network protection system

摘要

A method of inhibiting the spread of malware across a network of interconnected computer terminals. The method includes detecting malware or suspicious behavior at a first computer terminal and inspecting the first computer terminal, before and/or after said step of detecting malware or suspicious behavior, to identify contacts forming part of a social network. Identities of the identified contacts are sent to a backend security system, and at the backend security system, said identities are received and instructions sent to one or more second computer terminals associated with respective identities to cause those second computer terminals to implement an increased level of security.

主权项

1. A method of inhibiting the spread of malware across a network of interconnected computer terminals, the method comprising:
detecting malware or suspicious behaviour at a first computer terminal; inspecting the first computer terminal, before and/or after said step of detecting malware or suspicious behaviour, to identify contacts forming part of a social network; anonymizing identities of said contacts and sending the anonymized identities to a backend security system and periodically reporting from said first computer terminal to the backend security system for so long as the malware or suspicious behaviour continues to be detected at said first computer terminal and at said backend security system, determining when said malware or suspicious behaviour has been present at and reported by said first computer terminal for a period longer than some threshold period and, in response, sending an instruction to the first computer terminal to stop that terminal connecting to the social network; at the backend security system, receiving said anonymized identities and sending instructions to one or more second computer terminals associated with respective anonymized identities to cause those second computer terminals to implement an increased level of security; and subsequently determining that the threat level presented to one or more of said second computers has reduced and as a result sending instructions to the one or more second computer terminals to cause those second computer terminals to implement a reduced level of security.