OPTIMIZING VIRUS SCANNING OF FILES USING FILE FINGERPRINTS

In a method for determining if a file should be scanned for malware before a deduplication process, receiving an indication that a first file is stored or modified to a computing system. The one or more processors create a fingerprint for the first file. The one or more processors determine that the fingerprint for the first file is not already stored in a repository of one or more stored fingerprints, and in response, scan the first file to determine whether the first file is infected with malware. The one or more processors, in response to determining that the first file is not infected with malware, initiate a deduplication process for the first file. The one or more processors store the fingerprint of the first file to the repository of one or more stored fingerprints.