IP Library Granted Patent US 11,785,033
Granted Patent B2
US 11,785,033 · App. 17/343,887 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Detecting unused, abnormal permissions of users for cloud-based applications using a genetic algorithm

Inventors: Arik Kfir (Kfar-Saba, IL); Nadav Pozmantir (Hod-Hasharon, IL); Hila Paz Herszfang (Tel-Aviv, IL)
Assignee: Zscaler, Inc.
H04L63/1425G06N3/126
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,785,033
App. No.
17/343,887
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods include obtaining unused user accounts associated with a cloud application where an unused user account is one where a corresponding user has not accessed the cloud application in a certain period of time; determining a subset of the unused user accounts that are abnormal user accounts, wherein an abnormal user account is one that is anomalous compared to similar users; scoring and ranking the unused and abnormal user accounts; and remediating a set of the ranked unused and abnormal user accounts.

Claims (30)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining unused user accounts associated with a cloud application where an unused user account is one where a corresponding user has not accessed the cloud application in a certain period of time;

determining a subset of the unused user accounts that are abnormal user accounts, wherein an abnormal user account is one that is anomalous compared to similar users;

scoring and ranking the unused and abnormal user accounts, wherein the scoring is based on a combination of extra granted assignments, assignment counts, and permitted actions; and

remediating a set of the ranked unused and abnormal user accounts.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the similar users are ones that have commonality in any of department, location, and job function, and wherein anomalous means a user has different permissions from corresponding similar users.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the abnormal user accounts are determined using a genetic algorithm.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the genetic algorithm determines assignment based communities and determines a distance therebetween, with the abnormal user accounts being based on the distance.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes communities based on any of assignments, entitlements, behavior attributes, and meta attributes.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes a bipartite graph between users and assignments, converts the bipartite graph to a bitmap, determines communities based on the bitmap, computes a relational weight of each community, and computes distances among the community using the relational weight.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processing device to perform the steps of:

obtaining unused user accounts associated with a cloud application where an unused user account is one where a corresponding user has not accessed the cloud application in a certain period of time;

determining a subset of the unused user accounts that are abnormal user accounts, wherein an abnormal user account is one that is anomalous compared to similar users;

scoring and ranking the unused and abnormal user accounts, wherein the scoring is based on a combination of extra granted assignments, assignment counts, and permitted actions; and

remediating a set of the ranked unused and abnormal user accounts.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the similar users are ones that have commonality in any of department, location, and job function, and wherein anomalous means a user has different permissions from corresponding similar users.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the abnormal user accounts are determined using a genetic algorithm.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the genetic algorithm determines assignment based communities and determines a distance therebetween, with the abnormal user accounts being based on the distance.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes communities based on any of assignments, entitlements, behavior attributes, and meta attributes.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes a bipartite graph between users and assignments, converts the bipartite graph to a bitmap, determines communities based on the bitmap, computes a relational weight of each community, and computes distances among the community using the relational weight.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processing device to perform the steps of:

obtaining unused user accounts associated with a cloud application where an unused user account is one where a corresponding user has not accessed the cloud application in a certain period of time;

determining a subset of the unused user accounts that are abnormal user accounts, wherein an abnormal user account is one that is anomalous compared to similar users and the abnormal user accounts are determined using a genetic algorithm;

scoring and ranking the unused and abnormal user accounts; and

remediating a set of the ranked unused and abnormal user accounts,

wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes a bipartite graph between users and assignments, converts the bipartite graph to a bitmap, determines communities based on the bitmap, computes a relational weight of each community, and computes distances among the community using the relational weight.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the similar users are ones that have commonality in any of department, location, and job function, and wherein anomalous means a user has different permissions from corresponding similar users.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the genetic algorithm determines assignment based communities and determines a distance therebetween, with the abnormal user accounts being based on the distance.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the genetic algorithm utilizes communities based on any of assignments, entitlements, behavior attributes, and meta attributes.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the scoring is based on a combination of extra granted assignments, assignment counts, and permitted actions.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2021
From: KFIR, ARIK; POZMANTIR, NADAV; HERSZFANG, HILA PAZ
To: ZSCALER ISRAEL LTD.
Reel/Frame 056496/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2021
From: ZSCALER ISRAEL LTD.
To: ZSCALER, INC.
Reel/Frame 056496/0822 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220400128A1 · Dec 15, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,487,871