Patent ID: 8732587

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for enabling users of computing devices to visually identify the relative trustworthiness of files without having to request separate trustworthiness evaluations of the files by displaying trustworthiness classifications for files as visually overlaid icons, at least a portion of the method being performed by at least one computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: identifying, at a shell extension within a file manager installed on the computing device: a first file; a second file that performs a substantially similar function to the first file; in response to identifying the first and second files, allowing a user of the computing device to visually compare the trustworthiness of the first and second files without requiring the user to request a separate evaluation of the files' trustworthiness by: identifying, at the shell extension: a first file icon that graphically represents the first file within a file manager interface; a second file icon that graphically represents the second file within the same file manager interface; obtaining, at the shell extension: a first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file that identifies the trustworthiness of the first file; a second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file that identifies the trustworthiness of the second file; visually overlaying, at the shell extension: the first file icon with a first trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file; the second file icon with a second trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file.