Patent ID: 7080000

Claim:
A method for maintaining updated antivirus files within a computer network comprising at least one user computer and at least one central service computer, the user computer and the central service computer each having an antivirus database, the network being connected to an antivirus server, the method comprising: receiving a new antivirus file at one of the user computer and the central service computer and updating the computer's antivirus database; comparing the antivirus databases of the central service computer and the user computer if the new antivirus file was received at the central service computer from the antivirus server or if the new antivirus file was received at the user computer from the antivirus server, in order to determine if one of the databases contain a new antivirus file not contained within the other database; and notifying the central service computer of the new antivirus data file located on the user computer, and the user computer inquiring whether to update the antivirus database with the new antivirus files; whereby the central service computer and the user computer are each configured to send the new antivirus file to the other of the central service computer and the user computer to update the antivirus database such that the antivirus database of the central service computer is capable of being updated by the user computer and the antivirus database of the user computer is capable of being updated by the central service computer; wherein after the central service computer is notified of the new antivirus data file located on the user computer, the user computer waits for a request from the central service computer to send the new antivirus data file; wherein the central service computer is configured to send the new antivirus file to the user computer to update the virus database of the user computer, if is determined that the central service computer contains the new antivirus file not contained within the user computer; wherein the user computer is configured to send the new antivirus file to the central service computer to update the virus database of the central service computer, if is determined that the user computer contains the new antivirus file not contained within the central service computer and if it is determined that the user computer is authorized to send new antivirus files to the central service computer to update the virus database of the central service computer; wherein the central service computer is configured to periodically obtain updated antivirus files from the antivirus server.