Patent ID: 8667592
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for looking up server-side anti-malware metadata, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of client-side executable objects on a first computing system, wherein the plurality of client-side executable objects are to be scanned for malware before execution such that waiting for server-side anti-malware signatures to be used in scanning the malware may result in access latency to the plurality of client-side executable objects; predicting when the server-side anti-malware metadata will be needed by, for each client-side executable object within the plurality of client-side executable objects, assessing an imminence of execution of the client-side executable object; identifying, on a second computing system that is remote from the first computing system, the server-side anti-malware metadata corresponding to each client-side executable object within the plurality of client-side executable objects; prioritizing, based on the assessments, a retrieval order for the server-side anti-malware metadata corresponding to the plurality of client-side executable objects; and retrieving, based on the retrieval order, the server-side anti-malware metadata from the second computing system prior to any attempt to launch the corresponding client-side executable object within the plurality of client-side executable objects; storing the retrieved anti-malware metadata in a client-side anti-malware signature cache for availability upon an attempt to launch the corresponding client-side executable object such that access latency due to retrieval of the server-side anti-malware metadata is decreased; wherein at least a portion of the method is performed by a computing device comprising at least one hardware processor.