IP Library Granted Patent US 11,895,158
Granted Patent B2
US 11,895,158 · App. 16/878,124 · Granted Feb 6, 2024

Cybersecurity system having security policy visualization

Inventors: Lawrence Bruce Huston, III (Ann Arbor, MI); David Coffey (Austin, TX); Andrew Mortensen (Ann Arbor, MI)
Assignee: Forcepoint LLC
H04L63/205G06F3/0482G06N5/025H04L47/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,895,158
App. No.
16/878,124
Granted
Feb 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for implementing a cybersecurity system having security policy visualization. At least one embodiment is directed to a computer-implemented method for implementing security policies in a secured network, including: retrieving a set of rules of a security policy; analyzing the set of rules of the security policy using one or more Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) operations to reduce a dimensionality of the security policy; and generating a visual presentation on a user interface using results of the SMT operations, where the visual presentation includes visual indicia representing one or more targeted policy dimensions with respect to one or more fixed policy dimensions. In at least one embodiment, two or more security policies are presented with visual indicia representing differences between the security policies, including representations of one or more targeted policy dimensions with respect to one or more fixed policy dimensions.

Claims (66)

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing security policies in a secured network, comprising:

retrieving a set of rules of a security policy, the set of rules of the security policy being used when an individual accesses and uses assets and resources of an organization, the set of rules of the security policy describing intended security access rules relating to information technology (IT) assets of the organization, the security policy being used to deal with potential security risks to the IT assets;

analyzing the set of rules of the security policy using one or more Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) operations to reduce a dimensionality of the security policy;

generating a visual presentation on a user interface using results of the SMT operations, where the visual presentation includes visual indicia representing one or more targeted policy dimensions with respect to one or more fixed policy dimensions

retrieving a further set of rules of a further security policy;

analyzing the set of rules and the further set of rules to identify one or more rules of the further security policy that are not equivalent to one or more rules of the security policy; and

generating a visual presentation on a user interface showing an impact of differences between the rules of the security policy and the rules set of the further security policy with respect to one or more targeted policy dimensions and one or more fixed policy dimensions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising wherein:

the visual presentation includes a representation of how one or more of the security policy and the further security policy treat traffic at a destination port of the one or more of the security policy and the further security policy.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein:

the targeted policy dimensions for the security policy and targeted dimensions for the further security policy are displayed generally adjacent to one another to facilitate a visual comparison of the rules of the security policy and rules of the further security policy.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein:

the security policy is a security policy currently implemented in the secured network; and

the further security policy comprises a modified version of the security policy proposed for implementation in the secured network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein:

the rules of the security policy and rules of the further security policy comprise network security rules.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein:

the one or more fixed policy dimensions include a destination port or Internet Protocol (IP) address; and

the one or more targeted policy dimensions include one or more traffic policies for the one or more fixed policy dimensions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the visual presentation comprises a table displaying one or more fixed dimensions on corresponding table axes and displaying one or more targeted dimensions within the table as a function of the one or more fixed dimensions.

8. A system comprising:

one or more information handling systems, wherein the one or more information handling systems include:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the 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;

wherein the computer program code included in one or more of the information handling systems is executable by the processor of the information handling system so that the information handling system, alone or in combination with other information handling systems, executes operations comprising:

retrieving a set of rules of a security policy, the set of rules of the security policy being used when an individual accesses and uses assets and resources of an organization, the set of rules of the security policy describing intended security access rules relating to information technology (IT) assets of the organization, the security policy being used to deal with potential security risks to the IT assets;

analyzing the set of rules of the security policy using one or more Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) operations to reduce a dimensionality of the security policy;

generating a visual presentation on a user interface using results of the SMT operations, where the visual presentation includes visual indicia representing one or more targeted policy dimensions with respect to one or more fixed policy dimensionsi

retrieving a further set of rules of a further security policy;

analyzing the set of rules and the further set of rules to identify one or more rules of the further security policy that are not equivalent to one or more rules of the security policy; and

generating a visual presentation on a user interface showing an impact of differences between the rules of the security policy and the rules set of the further security policy with respect to one or more targeted policy dimensions and one or more fixed policy dimensions.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the visual presentation includes a representation of how one or more of the security policy and the further security policy treat traffic at a destination port of the one or more of the security policy and the further security policy.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the targeted policy dimensions for the security policy and targeted dimensions for the further security policy are displayed generally adjacent to one another to facilitate a visual comparison of the security policy and further security policy.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the security policy is a security policy currently implemented in a secured network; and

the further security policy comprises a modified version of the security policy proposed for implementation in the secured network.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the rules of the security policy and rules of the further security policy comprise network security rules.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the one or more fixed policy dimensions include a destination port or Internet Protocol (IP) address; and

the one or more targeted policy dimensions include one or more traffic policies for the one or more fixed policy dimensions.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the visual presentation comprises a table displaying one or more fixed dimensions on corresponding table axes and displaying one or more targeted dimensions within the table as a function of the one or more fixed dimensions.

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

retrieving a set of rules of a security policy, the set of rules of the security policy being used when an individual accesses and uses assets and resources of an organization, the set of rules of the security policy describing intended security access rules relating to information technology (IT) assets of the organization, the security policy being used to deal with potential security risks to the IT assets;

analyzing the set of rules of the security policy using one or more Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) operations to reduce a dimensionality of the security policy;

generating a visual presentation on a user interface using results of the SMT operations, where the visual presentation includes visual indicia representing one or more targeted policy dimensions with respect to one or more fixed policy dimensions

retrieving a further set of rules of a further security policy;

analyzing the set of rules and the further set of rules to identify one or more rules of the further security policy that are not equivalent to one or more rules of the security policy; and

generating a visual presentation on a user interface showing an impact of differences between the rules of the security policy and the rules set of the further security policy with respect to one or more targeted policy dimensions and one or more fixed policy dimensions.

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

the visual presentation includes a representation of how one or more of the security policy and the further security policy treat traffic at a destination port of the one or more of the security policy and the further security policy.

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

the targeted policy dimensions for the security policy and targeted dimensions for the further security policy are displayed generally adjacent to one another to facilitate a visual comparison of the security policy and further security policy.

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

the security policy is a security policy currently implemented in a secured network; and

the further security policy comprises a modified version of the security policy proposed for implementation in the secured network.

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

the rules of the security policy and rules of the further security policy comprise network security rules.

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

the one or more fixed policy dimensions include a destination port or Internet Protocol (IP) address; and

the one or more targeted policy dimensions include one or more traffic policies for the one or more fixed policy dimensions.

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 19, 2020
From: HUSTON, LAWRENCE BRUCE, III; COFFEY, DAVID; MORTENSEN, ANDREW
To: FORCEPOINT LLC
Reel/Frame 052702/0416 →