Patent ID: 8056133

Claim:
A method of protecting computers from viruses in a peer-to-peer (P2P) data transfer, the method comprising: sending a file search request from a P2P protect server computer to a P2P server to determine locations of a plurality of files from a plurality of P2P client computers available for P2P data transfer in a P2P network, the P2P protect server computer being separate from the P2P server; scanning for computer viruses the plurality of files from the plurality of P2P client computers identified in a response to the file search request, wherein the P2P protect server computer scans the plurality of files available from the plurality of P2P client computers for computer viruses; storing results of scanning the plurality of files from the plurality of P2P client computers in the P2P protect server computer; receiving in a first P2P client computer a listing of files available for P2P data transfer in the P2P network, the listing of files indicating a first file that may be downloaded directly from a second P2P client computer to the first P2P client computer in a P2P data transfer, wherein the first P2P client computer receives the listing of files available for P2P data transfer from the P2P server; sending a query from the first P2P client computer to the P2P protect server computer to inquire whether the first file is infected with a computer virus; receiving a response in the first P2P client computer, the response coming from the P2P protect server computer and including a result of scanning the first file for computer viruses; and prior to downloading the first file directly from the second P2P client computer to the first P2P client computer, displaying in the first P2P client computer the result of scanning the first file for computer viruses.