System and method for triggering and performing scans to protect virtual environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119368-A1
Application number	US-201614987109-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2008
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method in a virtual universe system for triggering scans of virtual items and inventories of virtual items and for scanning the virtual items and inventories wherein the scans may be triggered by an avatar moving or teleporting from one region to another, or by an avatar picking up, dropping off, or accepting or purchasing an item. The degree of scanning may depend upon factors such as location where these scan triggers occur. The signature of the item may be identified by the scan process. The item signature may be compared against signatures of known malicious items stored in an inventory item signatures database and a summary of the signature comparison may be sent to a resident and stored in the resident's inventory.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for triggering scans of items in a virtual universe, the virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, at least one avatar having an item and an item inventory, the method comprising:
scanning at least a portion of the item inventory belonging to the avatar; determining if the item inventory is acting differently than a normal virtual item, and if so:
triggering an item alert and blocking the virtual item,
checking attributes against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and
updating an inventory item safety summary accordingly.

2 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising determining if background monitoring is enabled.

3 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining if the item is being placed in or removed from the item inventory.

4 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining if the item is being picked up from or deposited in a region.

5 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:
determining if the item is acting differently from a normal item; and
if it is determined that the item is acting different from the normal item, triggering an item alert and blocking the item.

6 . The method as defined in claim 5 , further comprising:
if it is determined that the item is acting different from the normal item,
checking attributes against attributes of known malicious items, and
updating an inventory item safety summary accordingly.

7 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining if the item is being purchased.

8 . A system for dynamically expanding computing resources in a networked computing environment, comprising:
a memory medium comprising instructions; a bus coupled to the memory medium; and a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to: provide a virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, the at least one avatar having an item and an item inventory; scan at least a portion of the item inventory; determine if the item inventory is acting differently than a normal virtual item, and if so:
trigger an item alert and blocking the virtual item,
check attributes against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and
update an inventory item safety summary accordingly.

9 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to determine if background monitoring is enabled.

10 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to determine if the item is being placed in or removed from the item inventory.

11 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to determine if the item is being picked up from or deposited in a region.

12 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to determine if the item is being picked up from or deposited in a region.

13 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to:
determine if the item is acting differently than a normal item; if so:
trigger an item alert and blocking the item;
compare attributes of the item with attributes of known malicious items;
identify similarities and differences between the attributes of the item with attributes of known malicious items; and
determine maliciousness of the item based upon the identified similarities and the differences; and update an inventory item safety summary with the determined maliciousness of the item.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the item has a signature and a location and the virtual universe has an inventory item signature database having signatures of known malicious items, and wherein the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to:
determine a location of the item; scan a signature of the item based upon the location; compare the item signature with signatures of known malicious items in an inventory item signature database; determine maliciousness of the item based upon an extent of similarity of the match between the item signature and signatures of the known malicious items in the inventory item signature database; and notify the resident of the maliciousness determination result.

15 . A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium for operating in a system comprising at least one computer system having a network adapter for accessing a network, a processing unit, and a memory, for implementing a method for triggering scans of items in a virtual universe, the virtual universe having at least one avatar owned by a resident, at least one avatar having an item and an item inventory, the method comprising:
scan at least a portion of the item inventory belonging to the avatar; determine if the item inventory is acting differently from a normal virtual item, and if so:
trigger an item alert and blocking the virtual item,
check attributes against attributes of known malicious virtual items, and
update an inventory item safety summary accordingly.

16 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises: determine if background monitoring is enabled.

17 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises: determine if the item is being placed in or removed from the item inventory.

18 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises: determine if the item is being picked up from or deposited in a region.

19 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises: determine whether background monitoring is enabled.

20 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the item has a signature and a location and the virtual universe has an inventory item signature database having signatures of known malicious items and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a location of the item;
scanning a signature of the item based upon the location;
comparing the item signature with signatures of known malicious items in the inventory item signature database;
determining the maliciousness of the item based upon the extent of the similarity between the item signature and the signatures of the known malicious items in the inventory item signature database; and
notifying a resident of the virtual universe of the maliciousness determination result.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hamilton Ii Rick A
• O'Connell Brian M
• Pickover Clifford A
• Walker Keith R

Classifications

• A63F2300/5553

  user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar · CPC title

• G06F21/554

  involving event detection and direct action · CPC title

• A63F13/79

  involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories · CPC title

• G06F16/90344

  by using string matching techniques · CPC title

• G07F17/3241 Primary

  Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance (computer security G06F21/00) · CPC title