1. A method of analyzing whether executable code exists within data, said method comprising: accessing a plurality of values representing data contained within a memory of a computer system; performing pre-processing on the plurality of values to produce a candidate data subset, said pre-processing being performed by a computer and comprising determining whether the plurality of values meets at least one of (a) a randomness condition, (b) a length condition, and (c) a string ratio condition; inspecting, with the computer, the candidate data subset for computer instructions; determining one or more characteristics of the computer instructions; and taking a predetermined action based on the characteristics of the computer instructions.