Antivirus system and method for removable media devices

1. A method for providing antivirus protection in a removable media device, the method comprising:

sending an electronic instruction from the removable media device to an antivirus program of a host computing device in operative association with the removable media device to scan one or more electronic files to be transferred from the removable media device to the host computing device;

in response to an indication from the antivirus program that a virus has been detected in one or more of the electronic files, blocking or deleting such virus-detected electronic files to be transferred from the removable media device to the host computing device; and

preventing one or more of the electronic files from being transferred from the removable media device, wherein an attempt to block the antivirus program from scanning of the one or more electronic files is detected.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing on the removable media device a software program configured to electronically execute said sending and blocking or deleting.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising checking currency of validation files associated with the antivirus program.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising initiating a download, via electronic network connection, of current validation files, wherein the validation files associated with the antivirus program are not current.

5. A removable media device comprising a software program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured for execution on a computer processor to:

communicate with an antivirus program of a host computing system with which the removable media device is associated; and

upon receiving a communication from the software program, the antivirus program scanning one or more of electronic files stored on the removable media device and electronic files being transferred to or from the removable media device for detection of viruses therein;

wherein the removable media device employs encryption, and wherein the antivirus program is configured to scan one or more of the electronic files for viruses pre-encryption and to not allow one or more other of the electronic files to be encrypted, wherein the one or more other electronic files cannot be scanned by the antivirus program.

6. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the software program is further configured for execution on the computer processor to block transfer of detected virus-containing electronic files to or from the electronic media device.

7. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the removable media device comprises a USB device attached to the host computing system.

8. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the software program comprises a communication module configured for execution on the computer processor to automatically communicate with the antivirus program of the host computing system without intervention of a user of the host computing system.

9. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the software program comprises an updating module configured for execution on the computer processor to:

determine currency of validation files associated with the antivirus program;

establish an electronic connection, via a network, for downloading current validation files for the antivirus program; and

download the current antivirus validation files in response to a determination that the validation files associated with the antivirus program are not current.

10. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the software program comprises a virus scan blocking prevention module configured for execution on the computer processor to:

detect an attempt by a virus to block scanning of one or more of the electronic files; and

detect an attempt to block scanning of one or more of the electronic files by attempting to write a previously encrypted file that contains a virus to the removable media device.

11. The removable media device of claim 10 , wherein upon detection of such an attempt to block scanning of one or more of the electronic files, the virus scan blocking prevention module prevents data transfer to or from the removable media device.

12. The removable media device of claim 5 , wherein the software program is configured for execution on the computer processor to copy one or more of the electronic files to a TEMP environment of the host computing system.

13. A method for providing antivirus protection in a removable media device the method comprising:

sending an electronic instruction from the removable media device to an antivirus program of a host computing device in operative association with the removable media device to scan one or more electronic files to be transferred from the removable media device to the host computing device;

in response to an indication from the antivirus program that a virus has been detected in one or more of the electronic files, blocking or deleting such virus-detected electronic files to be transferred from the removable media device to the host computing device; and

copying the one or more electronic files to a TEMP environment of the host computing system;

wherein one or more of the electronic files copied to the TEMP environment of the host computing system comprises a monitor program executable on a computer processor to detect user or program operations intended to defeat, kill, or erase an antivirus program running from the removable media device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein upon detection of such user or program operations the antivirus program running from the removable media device is restored to the removable media device, and, until the program is restored, user operations to and from the removable media device are interrupted through issuance of one or more operating system commands to remove the removable media device from the host computing device.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable media device employs encryption, and wherein the antivirus program scans one or more of the electronic files for viruses pre-encryption and does not allow one or more other of the electronic files to be encrypted, wherein such other electronic files cannot be scanned.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scanning one or more of the electronic files during a decrypt operation prior to writing such electronic files to the host computing system.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising blocking one or more of the electronic files from being decrypted to the host computing system, wherein the one or more such electronic files cannot be scanned by the antivirus program.