REMOTE COMPUTER CONFIGURATION SCANNING

摘要

A system for detecting and forwarding, across the Internet to a third-party, configuration data detected from a user's computer, which user is a visitor to the third party's web site. In one configuration, apparatus for the remote scanning of configuration data relating to hardware or software installed in or as part of a user's computer system includes means for downloading a software-based scanning module from a provider's server to a user's computer system, the scanning module including means for determining preselected items of configuration data from the user's computer system and conveying said configuration data to the provider's server, and means for forwarding said configuration data to a client's server. The pre-selection of items of configuration data to be collected may be predetermined by the client to the provider. The user may be enabled to verify and authorise the forwarding of the information to the client's server by the provider's server.