Microsoft Files Patent for HoneyMonkey Exploit Finder
Microsoft has filed a patent claim for the Strider HoneyMonkey malware/exploit detection system created by our internal research unit. The claim, currently being reviewed at Peer-to-Patent. The HoneyMonkey system, first discussed in August 2005, is best described as an automated Web patrol that uses multiple Windows computers -- some unpatched and some fully updated -- to streamline the process of finding zero-day Web-based exploits. The entire system consists of a "pipeline of monkey programs" running on VMs (Virtual Machines) with different patch levels in order to detect exploit sites with different capabilities.
Urs