Method and system for generating and using a virus free file certificate integrated within a file

1. A method, for use in a virus-free certificate authority, of generating a virus-free certificate certifying that a file is virus-free comprising the steps of:

receiving a virus-free certificate request for a file from a server or a client system, said virus-free certificate request comprising the file for which the virus-free certificate is requested;

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated in the file;

if no virus-free certificate is integrated in the file:

determining whether the file is virus-free or not;

if the file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority:

generating a virus-free certificate comprising a file signature for certifying that said file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority;

integrating the generated virus-free certificate in the file;

sending back in response to the virus-free certificate request the file with the integrated virus-free certificate.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said file comprised in the virus-free certificate request comprises:

an integrated virus-free certificate.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

if the file comprises an integrated virus-free certificate:

determining whether the virus-free certificate integrated in the file has been previously generated by the virus-free certificate authority;

if the virus-free certificate integrated in the file has been previously generated by the virus-free certificate authority:

updating the virus-free certificate;

if the virus-free certificate integrated in the file has not been previously generated by the virus-free certificate authority:

generating a new virus-free certificate.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said file further comprises:

a file header comprising:

a non encrypted file signature;

a file length;

a product name.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of integrating the virus-free certificate in the file comprises the further steps of:

appending the virus-free certificate to the file;

modifying a file header, preferably:

a non encrypted file signature;

a file length;

a product name, said product name comprising means for identifying the integrated virus-free certificate.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining whether the file is virus-free or not comprises the further step of:

executing one or a plurality of anti-virus programs on said file for detecting viruses.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the virus-free certificate further comprises:

a list of the one or plurality of anti-virus programs that have been executed on the file.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the virus-free certificate further comprises:

a file identification;

a virus-free certificate authority identification;

a public key for decrypting the file signature;

a certificate signature for authenticating the virus-free certificate.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

identifying the server or client system where the file comprising the integrated virus-free certificate is stored;

updating the file with the integrated virus-free certificate.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating a file signature comprises the further steps of:

hashing the file to generate a file digest;

encrypting the file digest using a private key.

11. A system implementing a virus-free certificate authority, said system comprising a processor that executes a program for implementing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a virus-free certificate request for a file from a server or a client system, said virus-free certificate request comprising the file for which the virus-free certificate is requested;

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated in the file;

if no virus-free certificate is integrated in the file:

determining whether the file is virus-free or not;

if the file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority:

generating a virus-free certificate comprising a file signature for certifying that said file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority;

integrating the generated virus-free certificate in the file;

sending back in response to the virus-free certificate request the file with the integrated virus-free certificate.

12. A computer program recorded on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions executing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a virus-free certificate request for a file from a server or a client system, said virus-free certificate request comprising the file for which the virus-free certificate is requested;

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated in the file;

if no virus-free certificate is integrated in the file:

determining whether the file is virus-free or not;

if the file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority:

generating a virus-free certificate comprising a file signature for certifying that said file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority;

integrating the generated virus-free certificate in the file;

sending back in response to the virus-free certificate request the file with the integrated virus-free certificate.

13. A method, for use in a server or client system, of determining that a file is virus-free comprising the steps of:

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated within a file;

if a virus-free certificate is integrated within the file:

authenticating the virus-free certificate, said virus-free certificate comprising a certificate signature;

authenticating the file, said virus-free certificate comprising a file signature, said file signature certifying that said file has been declared virus-free by a virus-free certificate authority.

14. The method according claim 13 wherein said step of authenticating the file comprises the further steps of:

decrypting the file signature using a public key comprised in the virus-free certificate;

hashing the file to generate a file digest;

comparing the decrypted file signature with the generated file digest.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of authenticating the virus-free certificate comprises the further step of:

validating the virus-free certificate.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the step of validating the virus-free certificate comprises the further step of:

determining whether the virus-free certificate is valid or not;

if the virus-free certificate is not valid:

requesting a virus-free certificate update or an updated virus-free certificate update to a virus-free certificate authority.

17. The method according to claim 13 wherein the virus-free certificate further comprises:

a file identification;

a virus-free certificate authority identification;

a public key for decrypting the file signature.

18. The method according to claim 13 wherein said file further comprises:

a file header comprising:

a non encrypted file signature for signing the file;

a file length;

a product name, said product name comprising means for identifying the integrated virus-free certificate.

19. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated within a file comprises the further step of:

determining whether a product name within a file header comprises means for identifying the integrated virus-free certificate or not.

20. A system having a processor that determines that a file is virus-free, said processor executing a program for implementing a method having steps of:

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated within a file;

if a virus-free certificate is integrated within the file:

authenticating the virus-free certificate, said virus-free certificate comprising a certificate signature;

authenticating the file, said virus-free certificate comprising a file signature, said file signature certifying that said file has been declared virus-free by a virus-free certificate authority.

21. A computer program recorded on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions executing a method having steps of:

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated within a file;

if a virus-free certificate is integrated within the file:

authenticating the virus-free certificate, said virus-free certificate comprising a certificate signature;

authenticating the file, said virus-free certificate comprising a file signature, said file signature certifying that said file has been declared virus-free by a virus-free certificate authority.

22. A method, for use in a virus-free certificate authority, of generating a virus-free certificate certifying that a file is virus-free comprising the steps of:

receiving a virus-free certificate request for a file from a server or a client system, said virus-free certificate request comprising the file for which the virus-free certificate is requested and a list of one or a plurality of anti-virus programs to execute on the file to determine whether the file is virus-free or not;

determining whether a virus-free certificate is integrated in the file;

if no virus-free certificate is integrated in the file:

determining whether the file is virus-free or not;

if the file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority:

generating a virus-free certificate comprising a file signature for certifying that said file is declared virus-free by the virus-free certificate authority;

integrating the generated virus-free certificate in the file;

sending back in response to the virus-free certificate request the file with the integrated virus-free certificate.