IP Library Granted Patent US 11,223,646
Granted Patent B2
US 11,223,646 · App. 16/863,804 · Granted Jan 11, 2022

Using concerning behaviors when performing entity-based risk calculations

Inventors: Margaret Cunningham (Austin, TX); Clifford Charles Wright (Oxfordshire, GB)
Assignee: Forcepoint, LLC
H04L63/1433G06F21/316G06F21/552G06F21/577H04L63/102H04L63/1425H04L63/1483H04L67/22H04L67/306
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,223,646
App. No.
16/863,804
Granted
Jan 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for performing a security operation. The security operation includes: monitoring an entity, the monitoring observing at least one electronically-observable data source; deriving an observable based upon the monitoring of the electronically-observable data source; identifying a security related activity, the security related activity being based upon the observable from the electronic data source, the security related activity comprising a concerning behavior, the concerning behavior comprising a security related activity of analytic utility; analyzing the security related activity, the analyzing the security related activity being based upon the concerning behavior; and, performing a security operation in response to the analyzing the security related activity.

Claims (55)

1. A computer-implementable method for performing a security operation, comprising:

monitoring an entity, the monitoring observing at least one electronically-observable data source;

deriving an observable based upon the monitoring of the electronically-observable data source;

identifying a security related activity, the security related activity being based upon the observable from the electronic data source, the security related activity comprising a concerning behavior, the concerning behavior comprising a security related activity of analytic utility, the security related activity comprises a contextual modifier, the contextual modifier comprising a stressor contextual modifier, the concerning behavior comprises a corresponding concerning behavior score;

generating a user behavior score by modifying the concerning behavior risk score based upon the contextual modifier;

analyzing the security related activity via a security analytics system executing on a hardware processor, the analyzing the security related activity being based upon the concerning behavior and the user behavior score; and,

performing a security operation in response to the analyzing the security related activity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the corresponding user behavior score quantitatively reflects a security risk associated with a particular concerning behavior.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

an entity behavior has an associated attribute, the associated attribute comprising at least one of a user entity attribute associated with the user entity behavior and a non-user entity attribute associated with the non-user entity behavior; and,

the concerning behavior score is modified based upon the associated attribute of the entity behavior.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the concerning behavior is oriented towards a current user entity behavior.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the contextual modifier comprises at least one of an organization contextual modifier and a motivation contextual modifier.

6. A system comprising:

a hardware processor;

a data bus coupled to the hardware processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, 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:

monitoring an entity, the monitoring observing at least one electronically-observable data source;

deriving an observable based upon the monitoring of the electronically-observable data source;

identifying a security related activity, the security related activity being based upon the observable from the electronic data source, the security related activity comprising a concerning behavior, the concerning behavior comprising a security related activity of analytic utility, the security related activity comprises a contextual modifier, the contextual modifier comprising a stressor contextual modifier, the concerning behavior comprises a corresponding concerning behavior score;

generating a user behavior score by modifying the concerning behavior risk score based upon the contextual modifier;

analyzing the security related activity via a security analytics system executing on the hardware processor, the analyzing the security related activity being based upon the concerning behavior and the user behavior score; and,

performing a security operation in response to the analyzing the security related activity.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the corresponding user behavior score quantitatively reflects a security risk associated with a particular concerning behavior.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

an entity behavior has an associated attribute, the associated attribute comprising at least one of a user entity attribute associated with the user entity behavior and a non-user entity attribute associated with the non-user entity behavior; and,

the concerning behavior score is modified based upon the associated attribute of the entity behavior.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the concerning behavior is oriented towards a current user entity behavior.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the contextual modifier comprises at least one of an organization contextual modifier and a motivation contextual modifier.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

monitoring an entity, the monitoring observing at least one electronically-observable data source;

deriving an observable based upon the monitoring of the electronically-observable data source;

identifying a security related activity, the security related activity being based upon the observable from the electronic data source, the security related activity comprising a concerning behavior, the concerning behavior comprising a security related activity of analytic utility, the security related activity comprises a contextual modifier, the contextual modifier comprising a stressor contextual modifier, the concerning behavior comprises a corresponding concerning behavior score;

generating a user behavior score by modifying the concerning behavior risk score based upon the contextual modifier;

analyzing the security related activity via a security analytics system executing on a hardware processor, the analyzing the security related activity being based upon the concerning behavior and the user behavior score; and,

performing a security operation in response to the analyzing the security related activity.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the corresponding user behavior score quantitatively reflects a security risk associated with a particular concerning behavior.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein:

an entity behavior has an associated attribute, the associated attribute comprising at least one of a user entity attribute associated with the user entity behavior and a non-user entity attribute associated with the non-user entity behavior; and,

the concerning behavior score is modified based upon the associated attribute of the entity behavior.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the concerning behavior is oriented towards a current user entity behavior.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the contextual modifier comprises at least one of an organization contextual modifier and a motivation contextual modifier.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

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

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

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

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: FORCEPOINT, LLC; BITGLASS, LLC
Reel/Frame 070706/0263 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: FORCEPOINT LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057651/0150 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC
To: FORCEPOINT LLC
Reel/Frame 056294/0618 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 12, 2021
From: FORCEPOINT LLC
To: FORCEPOINT FEDERAL HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 056216/0204 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2020
From: CUNNINGHAM, MARGARET; WRIGHT, CLIFFORD CHARLES
To: FORCEPOINT LLC
Reel/Frame 052776/0286 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63017400 · Apr 29, 2020
Provisional Application 62964372 · Jan 22, 2020
Related Publication 20210224396A1 · Jul 22, 2021
Cited By (9)
US 12,200,132 US 12,248,545 US 12,284,172 US 12,299,093 US 12,301,558 US 12,301,632 US 12,347,095 US 12,401,650 US 12,470,552