IP Library Granted Patent US 12,079,378
Granted Patent B2
US 12,079,378 · App. 17/509,228 · Granted Sep 3, 2024

Gathering universal serial bus threat intelligence

Inventor: Cesar Augusto Rodriguez Bravo (Alajuela, CR)
Assignee: KYNDRYL, INC.
G06F21/82G06F13/385G06F21/556G06F21/577G06F2213/0042G06F2221/2141
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,079,378
App. No.
17/509,228
Granted
Sep 3, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes: detecting, by a computing device, connection of a universal serial bus device to a computer; determining, by the computing device, that the computer is in a locked mode; detecting, by the computer device, input to the computer within a predetermined time of detecting the connection; determining, by the computing device as a result of the computer being locked and detecting the input, that the input is a threat to the computer; creating, by the computing device, a temporary virtual environment; receiving, by the computing device, the input into the temporary virtual environment; processing, by the computing device, the input in the temporary virtual environment; and recording, by the computing device, information related to the input.

Claims (46)

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, connection of a universal serial bus device to a computer;

determining, by the computing device, that the computer is in a locked mode;

detecting, by the computing device, input to the computer within a predetermined time of detecting the connection;

determining, by the computing device as a result of the computer being locked and detecting the input, that the input is a threat to the computer;

creating, by the computing device, a temporary virtual environment;

receiving, by the computing device, the input into the temporary virtual environment;

processing, by the computing device, the input in the temporary virtual environment;

recording, by the computing device, information related to the input; and

sending dummy data, by the computing device, to an instigator of the threat in order to gather additional threat intelligence from the instigator.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input comprises keystrokes received by the computer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input comprises commands from the universal serial bus device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the input is a threat comprises comparing the input to a known input, wherein the known input corresponds to a known threat.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computing device, that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access comprises determining that the threat comprises a specific internet protocol address of the server.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the recording information comprises recording the specific internet protocol address of the server.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access comprises determining that the threat comprises a specific and valid user/password combination.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the recording information comprises recording a name of the server.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the computing device and to the instigator of the threat, fake credentials that allow access to the temporary virtual environment to waste time and resources of the instigator.

11. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to:

detect connection of a universal serial bus device to a computer;

determine that the computer is in a locked mode;

detect input to the computer within a predetermined time of detecting the connection;

determine, as a result of the computer being locked and detecting the input, that the input is a threat to the computer;

create a temporary virtual environment to gather threat intelligence by processing the input in a similar manner to that of normal operation;

receive the input into the temporary virtual environment;

process the input in the temporary virtual environment; and

sending dummy data to an instigator of the threat in order to gather additional threat intelligence from the instigator.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the input comprises commands from the universal serial bus device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the determining that the input is a threat comprises comparing the input to known input, wherein the known input corresponds to a known threat.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to determine that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to send, to an instigator of the threat, fake credentials that allow access to the temporary virtual environment to waste time and resources of the instigator.

16. A system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to:

detect connection of a universal serial bus device to a computer;

determine that the computer is in a locked mode;

detect input to the computer within a predetermined time of detecting the connection;

determine, as a result of the computer being locked and detecting the input, that the input is a threat to the computer;

create a temporary virtual environment to gather threat intelligence by processing the input in a similar manner to that of normal operation;

receive the input into the temporary virtual environment;

process the input in the temporary virtual environment; and

sending dummy data to an instigator of the threat in order to gather additional threat intelligence from the instigator.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising program instructions executable to determine that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the determining that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access comprises determining that the threat comprises a specific internet protocol address of the server.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the determining that the threat is targeted at a server to which the computer has access comprises determining that the threat comprises a specific and valid user/password combination.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising program instructions executable to send, to an instigator of the threat, fake credentials that allow access to the temporary virtual environment to waste time and resources of the instigator.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2022
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: KYNDRYL, INC.
Reel/Frame 061163/0097 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2021
From: RODRIGUEZ BRAVO, CESAR AUGUSTO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057894/0753 →
Continuity (1)
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