Patent ID: 7974286
Filing Date: 2011-07-05
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A data processing system comprising: a bus; a communications unit connected to the bus; a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program code to determine whether one of a first signature, a second signature, and a third signature is present in a header of a data packet, wherein the data packet is configured with a header and a payload, wherein the header further comprises a base header and is configured to receive one or more of the first signature, the second signature, and the third signature, and wherein the first signature indicates a verification that the data packet originated from a trusted source, the second signature indicates that the data packet has been scanned for viruses, and the third signature indicates that the data packet has been scanned for spyware; and responsive to an examination of the header of the data packet, only performing the verification that the data packet originated from a trusted source in response to an absence of the first signature, only performing a virus scan in response to an absence of the second signature, and only performing a spyware scan in response to an absence of the third signature.