Patent ID: 7870609

Claim:
A method for addressing a threat to the security of a user device that utilizes a network-accessible service, comprising: assessing a likelihood that the user device is infected by an undesirable item, the assessing comprising: detecting a potential presence of the undesirable item within a particular time frame, the presence being associated with activities for an identified network address; and determining whether the user device utilized the identified network address within the particular time frame; receiving a request by the user device to access the network-accessible service; and in response to the request, interacting with the user device in a manner that is governed by the assessed likelihood that the user device is infected by the undesirable item, wherein the user device is operated by at least one user, wherein the interacting with the user device comprises sending a notification message to another device operated by the at least one user to notify the at least one user of the assessed likelihood of the user device being infected by the undesirable item.