Patent ID: 7788723

Claim:
A method for providing computer security, comprising: storing subscriber information in a repository; sending an exploit probe to a subscriber's computer system, the exploit probe comprising a general purpose probe for discovering one or more zero-day exploits that is a previously unknown vulnerability, the general purpose probe comprising a generic piece of software of a single version that operates on a plurality of software applications offered by a plurality of vendors to exploit at least one zero-day exploit that is a previously unknown vulnerability in a benign fashion; generating a probe message based on a response from the subscriber's computer system to the exploit probe; and identifying at least one zero-day exploit that is a previously unknown vulnerability based on a response from the subscriber's computer system to the exploit probe, using the exploit probe to generate a virus drill on the subscriber's computer system, the virus drill simulating a plurality of computer virus attacks; and assessing the vulnerabilities of the subscriber's computer system and a user associated with the subscriber's computer system based on a performance of the user during the virus drill that simulates the plurality of attacks.