Importance

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Abstract

System and method for examining a file (1) associated with a digital computer (2) to determine whether a computer virus is present within the file (1). The file (1) contains at least one numbered sector. When the file (1) is examined for an initial time, the file (1) is scanned by an antivirus module (3, 5). At that time, the numbers of the sectors being scanned and a hash value for each scanned sector are stored into a critical sector file (4). The hash values can be calculated by an antivirus accelerator module (5). When the file (1) is examined a subsequent time, all of the file (1) sectors that were scanned the initial time are examined by the antivirus accelerator module (5). Each of these sectors again has its hash value calculated and compared with the hash value of the corresponding sector as stored within the critical sector file (4). When any calculated hash value fails to match a corresponding stored hash value for any sector, the antivirus scan module (3) is commanded to rescan the entire file (1)

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First Claim