IP Library Granted Patent US 11,095,609
Granted Patent B2
US 11,095,609 · App. 15/885,361 · Granted Aug 17, 2021

Portal for managing admission of unrecognized devices to an enterprise network

Inventors: John Edward Tyrone Shaw (Oxford, GB); Ross McKerchar (Bristol, GB); Moritz Daniel Grimm (Bruchsal, DE); Jan Karl Heinrich Weber (Karlsruhe, DE); Shail R. Talati (Santa Clara, CA); Kenneth D. Ray (Seattle, WA); Andrew J. Thomas (Oxfordshire, GB)
Assignee: Sophos Limited
H04L63/02H04L63/0236H04L63/0263H04L63/0876H04L63/101H04L63/102H04L63/104H04L63/107H04L63/145H04L63/029H04L63/0272H04L63/061
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,095,609
App. No.
15/885,361
Granted
Aug 17, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A threat management facility detects a device on an enterprise network and determines whether the device is one of a set of managed devices for the enterprise network. When the device is not one of the set of managed devices, the device may be directed to a portal that manages admission of unrecognized devices onto the enterprise network. Based on a response of the unrecognized device to the portal (e.g., if the unrecognized device does not respond to the portal), the device may be listed on an unclaimed device page published by the portal and accessible to authorized users of the enterprise network. An authorized user may claim the unrecognized device from the unclaimed device page and, in the process, may provide additional information regarding the unrecognized device. Once claimed, the previously unrecognized device may be permitted to communicate over the enterprise network.

Claims (27)

1. A method comprising:

detecting a device on an enterprise network;

when the device provides a heartbeat to a threat management facility that identifies the device as one of a set of managed devices for the enterprise network, permitting the device to communicate over the enterprise network; and

when the device does not provide the heartbeat to the threat management facility that identifies the device as one of the set of managed devices, directing the device to a portal for admission of unrecognized devices onto the enterprise network, determining a response of the device to the portal, and, (i) based on the response of the device to the portal inconsistent with a delivery of a local security agent for device management capability to the device from the threat management facility, listing the device on an unclaimed device page published by the portal and available to authorized users of the enterprise network to claim on the enterprise network, and receiving a claim for the device inconsistent with the delivery of the local security agent from one of the authorized users through the unclaimed device page, and (ii) based on the response of the device consistent with the delivery of the local security agent, providing the local security agent to the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from an authorized user of the enterprise network, a claim for the device from the unclaimed device page.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the claim for the device includes registering the device in a database stored by the threat management facility.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising permitting the device to communicate over the enterprise network based on the claim for the device from the unclaimed device page.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the response of the device to the portal is based on a response of the device to being directed to a landing page published by the portal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the device is listed on the unclaimed device page published by the portal if the device does not respond to the landing page.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein listing the device on the unclaimed device page is further based on a fingerprint of the device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fingerprint of the device is based on one or more of network traffic, packet header information, or status reports obtained from communications by the device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein listing the device on the unclaimed device page is further based on associating the device with another device.

10. A computer program product encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

detecting a device on an enterprise network;

when the device provides a heartbeat to a threat management facility that identifies the device as one of a set of managed devices for the enterprise network, permitting the device to communicate over the enterprise network; and

when the device does not provide a heartbeat to the threat management facility that identifies the device as one of the set of managed devices, directing the device to a portal for admission of unrecognized devices onto the enterprise network, determining a response of the device to the portal, and, (i) based on the response of the device to the portal inconsistent with a delivery of a local security agent for device management capability to the device from the threat management facility, listing the device on an unclaimed device page published by the portal and available to authorized users of the enterprise network to claim on the enterprise network, and receiving a claim for the device inconsistent with the delivery of the local security agent from one of the authorized users through the unclaimed device page, and (ii) based on the response of the device consistent with the delivery of the local security agent, providing the local security agent to the device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , the operations further comprising receiving, from an authorized user of the enterprise network, a claim for the device from the unclaimed device page.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein receiving the claim for the device includes registering the device in a database stored by the threat management facility.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , the operations further comprising permitting the device to communicate over the enterprise network based on the claim for the device from the unclaimed device page.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein determining the response of the device to the portal is based on a response of the device to being directed to a landing page published by the portal.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the device is listed on the unclaimed device page published by the portal if the device does not respond to the landing page.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein listing the device on the unclaimed device page is further based on a fingerprint of the device.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein listing the device on the unclaimed device page is further includes performing a security scan of the device for compliance with a security policy.

18. A system comprising:

a portal for managing admission of unrecognized devices onto an enterprise network, the portal including a first memory and a first processor, the first memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions for causing the first processor to publish an unclaimed device page accessible to authorized users of an enterprise network; and

a threat management facility associated with the enterprise network and in communication with the portal, the threat management facility including a second memory and a second processor, the second memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions for causing the second processor to identify a device as one of a set of managed devices for the enterprise network when the device provides a heartbeat to the threat management facility, to permit the device to communicate over the enterprise network when the device is one of the set of managed devices, and, when the device does not provide the heartbeat to the threat management facility identifying the device as one of the set of managed devices, (i) based on a response to the portal inconsistent with a delivery of a local security agent for device management capability to the device from the threat management facility, to list the device on the unclaimed device page published by the portal and available to the authorized users of the enterprise network to claim on the enterprise network, and to receive a claim for the device inconsistent with the delivery of the local security agent from one of the authorized users through the unclaimed device page, and (ii) based on a response consistent with the delivery of a local security agent for device management capability to the device from the threat management facility, to provide the local security agent to the device.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the second memory of the threat management facility has further stored thereon instructions to further cause the second processor to permit the device to communicate over the enterprise network based on the claim for the device from the unclaimed device page.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT R/F 053476/0681 Recorded Mar 9, 2021
From: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056469/0815 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT FIRST LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053124/0350 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SECOND LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053476/0681 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2019
From: SHAW, JOHN EDWARD TYRONE; MCKERCHAR, ROSS; GRIMM, MORITZ DANIEL; WEBER, JAN KARL HEINRICH; TALATI, SHAIL R.; RAY, KENNETH D.; THOMAS, ANDREW J.
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049111/0405 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190238506A1 · Aug 1, 2019