Patent ID: 7124181

Claim:
A method of executing a risk-assessment scan with a variable timeout duration which is set based on network conditions, comprising: measuring network conditions in a network coupled between a source and a target; executing a risk-assessment scan on the target from the source; and performing a risk-assessment scan-related timeout prior to making a determination that the target is failing to respond to the risk-assessment scan; wherein the timeout includes a variable duration which is set as a function of the measured network conditions; wherein the risk-assessment scan is abandoned if the target fails to respond to the risk-assessment scan within the variable duration; wherein the timeout is set by adding a default value with a variable value which is set as a function of the measured network conditions; wherein the timeout is set utilizing a plurality of network condition probes that gather multiple network condition measurements on a single target; wherein the measured network conditions are measured for an entire network segment on which a plurality of target components is located.