IP Library Granted Patent US 10,469,519
Granted Patent B2
US 10,469,519 · App. 15/891,158 · Granted Nov 5, 2019

Systems and methods for performing of creating simulated phishing attacks and phishing attack campaigns

Inventors: Alin Irimie (Clearwater, FL); Wendy Bartlett (Clearwater, FL); David Austin (Dunedin, FL)
Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc
H04L63/1433H04L63/1483H04L63/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,469,519
App. No.
15/891,158
Granted
Nov 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for establishing a campaign for a simulated phishing attack includes receiving, via a campaign manager, specification of a plurality of parameters for a campaign including at least an identifier of a campaign and identification of users to which to send the campaign, establishing, via the campaign manager, a type of exploit for the campaign and one or more types of data to collect via the type of exploit, storing, by the campaign manager, the campaign comprising the plurality of parameters, and identifying, by a simulation server, the campaign stored in the database to create a simulated phishing email, to be sent to email accounts of the users, using the plurality of parameters of the campaign, wherein the simulated phishing email is to be created to have a link to a landing page comprising the type of exploit and configured to collect the one or more types of data.

Claims (25)

1. A system comprising:

a campaign manager executable on one or more processors coupled to memory, and configured to establish a campaign for a simulated phishing attack, wherein the campaign identifies a type of exploit and a selection of one or more types of data to collect via configuration of the type of exploit;

a simulation server executable on the one or more processors, and configured to create a simulated phishing email with a link to a landing page comprising the type of exploit configured to collect the one or more types of data; and to communicate the simulated phishing email to email accounts of one or more users; and

wherein responsive to traversal via the link to the landing page, the type of exploit and the one or more types of data collected via the landing page are identified to the simulation server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the campaign manager is further configured to receive the selection of the type of exploit from a plurality of types of exploits via an interface.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the campaign manager is further configured to receive the selection of one or more types of data from a plurality of types of data for the type of exploit via an interface.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more the types of data comprises one or more of the following types of data: user information, network information, system information and Light Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) information.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the campaign manager is further configured to receive a selection of a group of users for the campaign.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to communicate the simulated phishing email to one or more email accounts of one or more users of the group of users.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to receive, responsive to traversal via the link to the landing page, identification of the type of exploit and the one or more types of data collected via the landing page.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to receive, responsive to traversal via the link to the landing page, data corresponding to the one or more types of data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to add to a user group at least one user that interacts with the simulated phishing email to cause traversal via the link to the landing page.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the landing page or the type of exploit is configured to collect the one or more types of data.

11. A system comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of campaigns configured for one or more simulated phishing attacks, wherein each of the plurality of campaigns identifies a type of exploit and a selection of one or more types of data to collect via configuration of the type of exploit; and

a simulation server executable on one or more processors and configured to identify from the database a first campaign from the plurality of campaigns and create a first simulated phishing email with a first link to a first landing page comprising a first type of exploit and the first type of exploit configured to collect the selection of a first one or more types of data.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to communicate the first simulated phishing email to one or more email accounts of one or more users.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to identify from the database a second campaign from the plurality of campaigns.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to create a second simulated phishing email with a second link to a second landing page comprising a second type of exploit and the second type of exploit configured to collect the selection of a second one or more types of data.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to communicate the second simulated phishing email to one or more email accounts of one or more users.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the selection of the type of exploit from a plurality of types of exploits is received via an interface.

17. The system of claim 12 , the selection of one or more types of data from a plurality of types of data for the type of exploit is received via an interface.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more the types of data comprises one or more of the following types of data: user information, network information, system information and Light Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) information.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the simulation server is further configured to receive, responsive to traversal via the first link to the first landing page, data corresponding to the one or more types of data.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein one of the landing page or the type of exploit is configured to collect the one or more types of data.

Assignments (6)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 8, 2025
From: KNOWBE4, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072337/0277 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 062627/0001 Recorded Jul 28, 2025
From: BLUE OWL CREDIT INCOME CORP. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS OWL ROCK CORE INCOME CORP.)
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 072108/0205 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME NO.: 056885/0889 Recorded Feb 2, 2023
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 062625/0841 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2023
From: KNOWBE4, INC.
To: OWL ROCK CORE INCOME CORP., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062627/0001 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 12, 2021
From: KNOWBE4, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 056885/0889 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2018
From: IRIMIE, ALIN; BARTLETT, WENDY; AUSTIN, DAVID
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 044859/0894 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15442215 · Feb 24, 2017
Provisional Application 62300399 · Feb 26, 2016
Related Publication 20180167409A1 · Jun 14, 2018
Cited By (3)
US 12,225,046 US 12,423,421 US 12,526,319