Method of operating a media scanner

• Main Authors: Khan-Ferdous Wahid, Hugh Soulsby, Kevin Jones, Adam Wedgbury
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.04.2021
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

A method of operating a media scanner to protect a target machine from malware on a removable storage device. The target machine and the removable storage device each comprise a respective data line, and the media scanner comprises a data switch. Data is scanned on the removable storage device with malware detection software of the media scanner via a first data path, the first data path comprising the data line of the removable storage device connected to the data line of the media scanner by the data switch in a first switching state. After the data has been scanned with the malware detection software, the data switch is operated to switch from the first switching state to a second switching state, thereby disconnecting the data line of the removable storage device from the data line of the media scanner and connecting the data line of the removable storage device to the data Line of the target machine Data is transferred from the removable storage device to the target machine via a second data path, the second data path comprising the data line of the removable storage device connected to the data line of the target machine by the data switch in the second switching state After the device has been removed, the data switch is returned back to its first switching state.