IP Library Granted Patent US 10,505,953
Granted Patent B2
US 10,505,953 · App. 15/433,647 · Granted Dec 10, 2019

Proactive prediction and mitigation of cyber-threats

Inventors: Rami Cohen (Haifa, IL); Avi Chesla (Tel-Aviv, IL); Shlomi Medalion (Lod, IL); Ron Katz (Mazkeret Batia, IL)
Assignee: Empow Cyber Security Ltd.
H04L63/1416H04L63/1441H04L63/145H04L63/1433H04L63/1483
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,505,953
App. No.
15/433,647
Granted
Dec 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cyber-security system and method for proactively predicting cyber-security threats are provided. The method comprises receiving a plurality of security events classified to different groups of events; correlating the plurality of received security events to classify potential cyber-security threats to a set of correlation types; determining a correlation score for each classified potential cyber-security threat; and determining a prediction score for each classified potential cyber-security threat, wherein the prediction score is determined based in part on the correlation score.

Claims (55)

1. A method for proactively predicting cyber-security threats, comprising:

receiving a plurality of security events classified to different groups of events;

processing the plurality of received security events in order to classify potential cyber-security threats into a set of correlation types;

determining a correlation score for each of the classified potential cyber-security threats by factoring at a correlation confidence level, a risk level of an identified threat, and a probability of the prediction; and

determining a prediction score for each of the classified potential cyber-security threats, wherein the prediction score is determined based in part on the correlation score.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a mitigation action against the potential cyber-security threat, wherein the mitigation action is determined based on the prediction score and a security policy.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mitigation action includes at least one of: blocking network traffic between at least one source and at least one destination, diverting network traffic, and generating alerts.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: determining the mitigation action based on a cost for performing the mitigation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a group of security events is any one of: a matched event and an advanced event, wherein the matched event is a security event matching at least one workflow rule, and wherein the advanced event is a matched event associated with an advanced attack caused by an identified cyber-security threat.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the set of correlation types is any one of: a common ancestor correlation type, an overlap cause correlation type, an overlap cause-effect correlation type, and a common descendant correlation type.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the set of correlation types determines how a potential cyber-security threat correlates to at least advanced events.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the common ancestor correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event is originated from a same ancestor source as a potential cyber-security threat.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the overlap cause correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event in a chain of advanced events overlaps at least one matched event, wherein the potential cyber-security threat is a premature threat of an advanced attack.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein events are considered overlapped when at least one of: application paths' attributes and seed events' attributes are the same.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the common descendant correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event is destined to a same destination as a potential cyber-security threat.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein any one of the common ancestor correlation type and the overlap cause correlation type is determined when a cause-effect matched event overlaps a cause-effect advanced event, wherein a potential cyber-security threat leads to a destination designated in the cause-effect matched event.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the two events are considered overlapping when said two events originate from the same source.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the correlation score further comprises:

factoring at least one of: a number of correlated events and a number of identified correlation types.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the prediction score further comprises:

factoring in addition to the correlation score at least one of: a type of an identified potential cyber-security threat, a risk level associated with the identified potential cyber-security threat, and at least one cause-and-effect attribute.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein each potential cyber-security attack is at least a multi-vector attack campaign.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-vector attack campaign is any one of: an insider threat campaign, a personal data-leak campaign, a ransomware campaign, an intelligence gathering, a financial data-leak campaign, and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack campaign.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processing circuitry to execute a process for proactively predicting cyber-security threats, the process comprising:

receiving a plurality of security events classified to different groups of events;

processing the plurality of received security events in order to classify potential cyber-security threats into a set of correlation types;

determining a correlation score for each classified potential cyber-security threats by factoring at a correlation confidence level, a risk level of an identified threat, and a probability of the prediction; and

determining a prediction score for each classified potential cyber-security threat, wherein the prediction score is determined based in part on the correlation score.

19. A cyber-security system for proactively predicting cyber-security threats, comprising:

a processing circuitry; and

a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the system to:

receive a plurality of security events classified to different groups of events;

process the plurality of received security events in order to classify potential cyber-security threats into a set of correlation types;

determine a correlation score for each of the classified potential cyber-security threats by factoring at a correlation confidence level, a risk level of an identified threat, and a probability of the prediction; and

determine a prediction score for each classified potential cyber-security threat, wherein the prediction score is determined based in part on the correlation score.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the system is further configured:

perform a mitigation action against the potential cyber-security threat, wherein the mitigation action is determined based on the prediction score and a security policy.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mitigation action includes at least one of: blocking network traffic between at least one source and at least one destination, diverting network traffic, and generating alerts.

22. The system of claim 20 , further comprising: determining the mitigation action based on a cost for performing the mitigation.

23. The system of claim 19 , wherein a group of security events is any one of: a matched event and an advanced event, wherein a matched event is a security event matching at least one workflow rule, and wherein an advanced event is a matched event associated with an advanced attack caused by an identified cyber-security threat.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein each of the set of correlation types determines how a potential cyber-security threat correlates to at least advanced events.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the overlap cause correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event in a chain of advanced events overlaps at least one matched event, wherein the potential cyber-security threat is a premature threat of an advanced attack.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein events are considered overlapped when at least one of: application paths' attributes and seed events' attributes are the same.

27. The system of claim 24 , wherein the common descendant correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event is destined to a same destination as a potential cyber-security threat.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein any one of the common ancestor correlation type and the overlap cause correlation type is determined when a cause-effect matched event overlaps a cause-effect advanced event, wherein a potential cyber-security threat leads to a destination designated in the cause-effect matched event.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the two events are considered overlapping when said two events originate from the same source.

30. The system of claim 23 , wherein each of the set of correlation types is any one of: a common ancestor correlation type, an overlap cause correlation type, an overlap cause-effect correlation type, and a common descendant correlation type.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the common ancestor correlation type is determined when at least one advanced event is originated from a same ancestor source as a potential cyber-security threat.

32. The system of claim 19 , wherein the system is further configured:

factor at least one of: a number of correlated events and a number of identified correlation types.

33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the system is further configured:

factor in addition to the correlation score at least one of: a type of an identified potential cyber-security threat, a risk level associated with the identified potential cyber-security threat, and at least one cause-and-effect attribute, thereby resulting with the prediction score.

34. The system of claim 19 , wherein each potential cyber-security attack is at least a multi-vector attack campaign.

35. The system of claim 19 , wherein the multi-vector attack campaign is any one of: an insider threat campaign, a personal data-leak campaign, a ransomware campaign, an intelligence gathering, a financial data-leak campaign, and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack campaign.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2026
From: CYBEREASON INC.; ALERT LOGIC, LLC
To: AT&T ENTERPRISES, LLC
Reel/Frame 075377/0304 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST (REEL/FRAME 059732/0513) Recorded Nov 26, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CYBEREASON INC.
Reel/Frame 073781/0892 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2023
From: SOFTBANK CORP.
To: CYBEREASON INC.
Reel/Frame 064108/0725 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2023
From: CYBEREASON INC.
To: SOFTBANK CORP.
Reel/Frame 063550/0415 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: CYBEREASON INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 059732/0513 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2021
From: EMPOW CYBER SECURITY LTD.; EMPOW CYBER SECURITY INC.
To: CYBEREASON INC.
Reel/Frame 056792/0042 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2017
From: COHEN, RAMI; CHESLA, AVI; MEDALION, SHLOMI; KATZ, RON
To: EMPOW CYBER SECURITY LTD.
Reel/Frame 041265/0166 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,712,892