Patent ID: 8650645

Claim:
A method, comprising: identifying, by a computing system comprising one or more computers, a file of computer-executable code that facilitates the processing of proprietary information when executed by at least one processor; performing, by the computing system, at least one hashing operation on the file to generate a first representative value associated with the file; receiving, by the computing system, at least one approval associated with validation of the file; storing, by the computing system, the at least one approval in association with the generated representative value; determining, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file and utilizing the at least one hashing operation, a second representative value associated with the file; and comparing, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file, the first representative value to the second representative value, wherein, if the second representative value matches the stored first representative value and at least one approval is available, selectively permitting, by the computing system, execution of the file, and if the second representative value does not match the stored first representative value, determining by the computing system based at least in part upon a comparison of the first representative value to the second representative value, that the file has been modified subsequent to the storage of the at least one approval, wherein execution of the file is not permitted based upon the determination that the file has been modified.