Patent ID: 7917744

Claim:
An apparatus for processing code comprising: at least one electronic device component for intercepting, examining and controlling code that is being communicated as a code stream on a communications channel, said electronic device component being provided with a protocol parser capable of discriminating among different protocols implemented on top of the transport layer; and, a proscribed code scanner; whereby said protocol parser intercepts instant messaging or peer-to-peer code on a communications channel and transmits said code for review by said proscribed code scanner, said protocol parser being provided to parse protocols on top of the transport layer; wherein said apparatus is configurable to process multiple code streams created when more than one communications channel is opened; the apparatus including at least one kernel module that is linked to a number of path names and remains operable, and wherein a kernel is configured to operate to intercept code streams when an application that the kernel module is linked to is opened, wherein said application calls the kernel to insert a kernel module in the code stream, and wherein said kernel module intercepts code passing in the stream; wherein the kernel module is configured to intercept at least code comprising instant messaging or peer-to-peer code, wherein said interception is based on one or more of code based or port based interception.