Patent ID: 7383579

Claim:
A method for handling computerized requests comprising: receiving a request to an external network from a computer comprising a user agent string and a specified destination in the external network, in a network component; extracting anti-virus data from the user agent string; comparing the anti-virus data with a standard, wherein the anti-virus data comprises an anti-virus version date and wherein the user agent string has been modified by the computer to include the anti-virus version date, wherein the anti-virus version date has been converted by the computer to a coordinated universal time-expressed version date value and wherein the coordinated universal time-expressed version date value is at the end of the user agent string; and directing the request based on a result of the comparison; wherein directing the request based on a result of the comparison comprises redirecting said request to an alternate destination with respect to the specified destination in the external network and the network component when the anti-virus data does not meet the standard; and wherein the alternate destination comprises a server in communication with the network component over an internal network and wherein the server, upon receiving the redirected request, performs at least one of the following: severs a connection between the computer and the server comprising the alternate destination, wherein the connection is severed without informing the computer why the request was denied; transmits an updated virus protection file to the computer; and notifies a software provider that the updated virus protection file should be sent to the computer.