SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCANNING MEMORY FOR PESTWARE OFFSET SIGNATURES

Systems and methods for managing pestware processes on a protected computer are described. In one implementation, a reference point in the executable memory that is associated with a process running in the executable memory is located. A first and second sets of information from corresponding first and second portions of the executable memory are then retrieved. The first and second portions of the executable memory are separated by a defined offset, and each of the first and second portions of the executable memory are offset from the reference point. The process is identifiable as a particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information previously found to be separated by the defined offset in other processes that are of the particular type of pestware. In some variations, the reference point is a starting address and/or an API implementation in the process.