IP Library Granted Patent US 11,429,697
Granted Patent B2
US 11,429,697 · App. 16/806,520 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Eventually consistent entity resolution

Inventors: Christopher Poirel (Baltimore, MD); William Renner (Baltimore, MD); Phillip Bracikowski (Coeur D'Alene, ID)
Assignee: Forcepoint, LLC
G06F21/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,429,697
App. No.
16/806,520
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for performing an eventually consistent event resolution operation. The eventually consistent event resolution operation includes: parsing entity identifier information, the parsing generating a plurality of entity identifier elements from the entity identifier information; normalizing an entity identifier element of the plurality of entity identifier elements to provide a normalized entity identifier element; associating the normalized entity identifier element with the entity to resolve the identity of the entity; and, performing an eventually consistent event resolution operation, the eventually consistent event resolution operation updating distributed data associated with the entity, distributed data corresponding to entity identifiers impacted by subsequent changes to entity mappings being updated by the eventually consistent event resolution operation to reflect a more recent entity mapping.

Claims (64)

1. A computer-implementable method for resolving an identity of an entity, comprising:

parsing entity identifier information from a plurality of distributed data sources, the parsing generating a plurality of entity identifier elements from the entity identifier information;

normalizing an entity identifier element of the plurality of entity identifier elements to provide a normalized entity identifier element;

associating the normalized entity identifier element with the entity to resolve the identity of the entity; and,

performing an eventually consistent entity resolution operation, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation updating distributed data associated with the entity, distributed data corresponding to entity identifiers impacted by subsequent changes to entity mappings being updated by the eventually consistent entity resolution operation to reflect a more recent entity mapping, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation returning a last updated resolution of an identity of a particular entity when no new updates are made to information associated with resolution of the identity of the particular entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a denormalization operation on a resolved entity identifier element, the denormalization operation providing a denormalized entity identifier element; and wherein

the eventually consistent resolution operation uses the denormalized entity identifier element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

resolving the identity of the entity is with respect to a particular security related event.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the entity identifier information comprises at least one of a user identification factor, a user identifier factor, location data, information associated with an endpoint device, information associated with an edge device, information associated with an internal network, information associated with an external network and information associated with a resource entity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type; and,

the associated entity identifier type comprises a representation of a particular attribute associated with an entity identifier element.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type;

the entity identifier element type comprises at least one of a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) address type, an exchange address type and an inferred type; and,

normalizing the entity identifier element is specific to the entity identifier element type.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code for resolving an identity of an entity, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code interacting with a plurality of computer operations and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for:

parsing entity identifier information from a plurality of distributed data sources, the parsing generating a plurality of entity identifier elements from the entity identifier information;

normalizing an entity identifier element of the plurality of entity identifier elements to provide a normalized entity identifier element;

associating the normalized entity identifier element with the entity to resolve the identity of the entity; and,

performing an eventually consistent entity resolution operation, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation updating distributed data associated with the entity, distributed data corresponding to entity identifiers impacted by subsequent changes to entity mappings being updated by the eventually consistent entity resolution operation to reflect a more recent entity mapping, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation returning a last updated resolution of an identity of a particular entity when no new updates are made to information associated with resolution of the identity of the particular entity.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured for:

performing a denormalization operation on a resolved entity identifier element, the denormalization operation providing a denormalized entity identifier element; and wherein

the eventually consistent resolution operation uses the denormalized entity identifier element.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

resolving the identity of the entity is with respect to a particular security related event.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the entity identifier information comprises at least one of a user identification factor, a user identifier factor, location data, information associated with an endpoint device, information associated with an edge device, information associated with an internal network, information associated with an external network and information associated with a resource entity.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type; and,

the associated entity identifier type comprises a representation of a particular attribute associated with an entity identifier element.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type;

the entity identifier element type comprises at least one of a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) address type, an exchange address type and an inferred type; and,

normalizing the entity identifier element is specific to the entity identifier element type.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code for resolving an identity of an entity, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

parsing entity identifier information from a plurality of distributed data sources, the parsing generating a plurality of entity identifier elements from the entity identifier information;

normalizing an entity identifier element of the plurality of entity identifier elements to provide a normalized entity identifier element;

associating the normalized entity identifier element with the entity to resolve the identity of the entity; and,

performing an eventually consistent entity resolution operation, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation updating distributed data associated with the entity, distributed data corresponding to entity identifiers impacted by subsequent changes to entity mappings being updated by the eventually consistent event entity resolution operation to reflect a more recent entity mapping, the eventually consistent entity resolution operation returning a last updated resolution of an identity of a particular entity when no new updates are made to information associated with resolution of the identity of the particular entity.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

performing a denormalization operation on a resolved entity identifier element, the denormalization operation providing a denormalized entity identifier element; and wherein

the eventually consistent resolution operation uses the denormalized entity identifier element.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

resolving the identity of the entity is with respect to a particular security related event.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the entity identifier information comprises at least one of a user identification factor, a user identifier factor, location data, information associated with an endpoint device, information associated with an edge device, information associated with an internal network, information associated with an external network and information associated with a resource entity.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type; and,

the associated entity identifier type comprises a representation of a particular attribute associated with an entity identifier element.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the entity identifier element has an associated entity identifier type;

the entity identifier element type comprises at least one of a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) address type, an exchange address type and an inferred type; and,

normalizing the entity identifier element is specific to the entity identifier element type.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client system from a server system at a remote location.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a user on an on-demand basis.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2025
From: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC
To: EVERFOX HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 070585/0524 →
PARTIAL PATENT RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT AT REEL/FRAME 055052/0302 Recorded Oct 3, 2023
From: CREDIT SUISSE, AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC (F/K/A FORCEPOINT LLC)
Reel/Frame 065103/0147 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2023
From: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 065086/0822 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 12, 2021
From: FORCEPOINT LLC
To: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 056216/0309 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2020
From: POIREL, CHRISTOPHER; RENNER, WILLIAM; BRACIKOWSKI, PHILLIP
To: FORCEPOINT LLC
Reel/Frame 051981/0681 →