IP Library Granted Patent US 10,972,477
Granted Patent B1
US 10,972,477 · App. 16/142,235 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Systems and methods for performing micro-segmenting

Inventor: Bruce McCorkendale (Manhattan Beach, CA)
Assignee: NortonLifeLock, Inc.
H04L63/108H04L63/102H04L63/1433H04L63/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,972,477
App. No.
16/142,235
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for performing micro-segmenting may include (i) identifying at least a portion of a device, (ii) measuring a variance value that indicates a level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over a period of time, and (iii) locking, in response to determining that the variance value satisfies a threshold level of simplicity, the portion of the device by applying a security profile to the portion of the device that limits the portion of the device to accessing a set of websites that is defined in terms of the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims (45)

1. A computer-implemented method for performing micro-segmenting, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying at least a portion of a device;

measuring a variance value that indicates a level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over a period of time; and

locking, in response to determining that the variance value satisfies a threshold level of simplicity, the portion of the device by applying a security profile to the portion of the device that limits the portion of the device to accessing a set of websites that is defined in terms of the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a number of unique domains accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein applying the security profile to the portion of the device limits the portion of the device to accessing those domains included within the number of unique domains accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a level of variance in terms of categories assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein applying the security profile to the portion of the device limits the portion of the device to accessing websites assigned to at least one of the same categories assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a level of variance in terms of measurements of security riskiness assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein applying the security profile to the portion of the device limits the portion of the device to accessing websites having measurements of security riskiness corresponding to the measurements of security riskiness assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying at least a portion of the device comprises:

identifying a subsystem executing on the device; or

identifying the entire device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein:

identifying at least a portion of the device comprises identifying the subsystem executing on the device; and

the method further comprises:

identifying an additional, second device;

detecting that the additional, second device also contains another instance of the subsystem executing on the device; and

applying, based on detecting that the additional, second device also contains another instance of the subsystem executing on the device, the security profile to the other instance of the subsystem executing on the additional, second device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,

wherein the threshold level of simplicity comprises a numerical threshold along a spectrum according to which the variance value is measured.

11. A system for performing micro-segmenting, the system comprising:

an identification module, stored in memory, that identifies at least a portion of a device;

a measurement module, stored in memory, that measures a variance value that indicates a level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over a period of time;

a locking module, stored in memory, that locks, in response to determining that the variance value satisfies a threshold level of simplicity, the portion of the device by applying a security profile to the portion of the device that limits the portion of the device to accessing a set of websites that is defined in terms of the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the identification module, the measurement module, and the locking module.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a number of unique domains accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the locking module applies the security profile to the portion of the device such that the security profile limits the portion of the device to accessing those domains included within the number of unique domains accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a level of variance in terms of categories assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the locking module applies the security profile to the portion of the device such that the security profile limits the portion of the device to accessing websites assigned to at least one of the same categories assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the variance value that indicates the level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time further indicates a level of variance in terms of measurements of security riskiness assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the locking module applies the security profile to the portion of the device such that the security profile limits the portion of the device to accessing websites having measurements of security riskiness corresponding to the measurements of security riskiness assigned to the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the identification module identifies at least a portion of the device at least in part by:

identifying a subsystem executing on the device; or

identifying the entire device.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein:

the identification module identifies at least a portion of the device by identifying the subsystem executing on the device; and

the system is configured such that:

the identification module identifies an additional, second device;

the identification module further detects that the additional, second device also contains another instance of the subsystem executing on the device; and

the locking module further applies, based on detecting that the additional, second device also contains another instance of the subsystem executing on the device, the security profile to the other instance of the subsystem executing on the additional, second device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify at least a portion of a device;

measure a variance value that indicates a level of variance in terms of websites accessed by the portion of the device over a period of time; and

lock, in response to determining that the variance value satisfies a threshold level of simplicity, the portion of the device by applying a security profile to the portion of the device that limits the portion of the device to accessing a set of websites that is defined in terms of the websites accessed by the portion of the device over the period of time.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 6, 2023
From: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
To: GEN DIGITAL INC.
Reel/Frame 062714/0605 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 050926 / FRAME 0560) Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061422/0371 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062220/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 14, 2020
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
To: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
Reel/Frame 051935/0228 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 4, 2019
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION; BLUE COAT LLC; LIFELOCK, INC,; SYMANTEC OPERATING CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050926/0560 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2018
From: MCCORKENDALE, BRUCE
To: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046976/0324 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,309,152 US 12,563,094 US 12,621,331