IP Library Granted Patent US 11,108,792
Granted Patent B2
US 11,108,792 · App. 17/121,442 · Granted Aug 31, 2021

Systems and methods for determining individual and group risk scores

Inventors: Eric Sites (Clearwater, FL); Greg Kras (Dunedin, FL); Alin Irimie (Clearwater, FL); Stu Sjouwerman (Belleair, FL); Marcio Castilho (Palm Harbor, FL); Siegfried Martens (Tampa, FL); Eric Bonabeau (Tampa, FL); Kristian Kime (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
H04L63/1416H04L63/14H04L63/1408H04L63/1425H04L63/1433
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,108,792
App. No.
17/121,442
Granted
Aug 31, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a risk score or vulnerable for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system. The server may create a frequency score for a user, which predicts the frequency at which the user is to be hit with a malicious attack. The frequency score may be based on at least a job score, which may be represented by a value that is based on the type of job the user has, and a breach score that may be represented by a value that is based on the user's level of exposure to email.

Claims (27)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors and based at least on a type of job of a user and the user's level of exposure to email, one or more values representing a frequency at which the user is expected to receive a phishing communication and a propensity of the user to interact with the phishing communication;

determining, by the one or more processors, a risk score of the user based at least on a function of the one or more values, the risk score comprising a probability of the user to interact with the phishing communication; and

taking, by the one or more processors, an action based at least on the risk score of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking, by the one or more processors, the action to display the risk score of the user.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising displaying the risk score of the user among a plurality of risk scores of a plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the one or more processors, a severity value for a severity of the user's interaction with the phishing communication.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, the risk score of the user based at least on the function of the one or more values and the severity value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, the risk score of the user by applying a weight to at least one value of the one or more values.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, the one or more values based at least on a breach score value of the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the breach score value is based on the user's level of exposure to email.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phishing communication is a malicious attack.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phishing communication is a simulated phishing communication.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors, coupled to memory and configured to:

identify, based at least on a type of job of a user and the user's level of exposure to email, one or more values representing a frequency at which the user is expected to receive a phishing communication and a propensity of the user to interact with the phishing communication;

determine a risk score of the user based at least on a function of the one or more values, the risk score comprising a probability of the user to interact with the phishing communication; and

taking an action based at least on the risk score of the user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to take the action to display the risk score of the user.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to display the risk score of the user among a plurality of risk scores of a plurality of users.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify a severity value for a severity of the user's interaction with the phishing communication.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the risk score of the user based at least on the function of the one or more values and the severity value.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the risk score of the user by applying a weight to at least one value of the one or more values.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the one or more values based at least on a breach score value of the user.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the breach score value is based on the user's level of exposure to email.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the phishing communication is a malicious attack.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the phishing communication is a simulated phishing communication.

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 Jan 15, 2021
From: SITES, ERIC; KRAS, GREG; IRIMIE, ALIN; SJOUWERMAN, STU; CASTILHO, MARCIO; MARTENS, SIEGFRIED; BONABEAU, ERIC; KIME, KRISTIAN
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 054929/0636 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16855502 · Apr 22, 2020
Continuation 16413021 · May 15, 2019
Provisional Application 62672390 · May 16, 2018
Provisional Application 62672386 · May 16, 2018
Related Publication 20210136091A1 · May 6, 2021