IP Library Granted Patent US 11,500,984
Granted Patent B2
US 11,500,984 · App. 17/679,801 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Systems and methods for providing configurable responses to threat identification

Inventors: Greg Kras (Dunedin, FL); Adam Alessandrini (Clearwater, FL)
Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
G06F21/552G09B19/0053H04L51/08H04L63/1483
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,500,984
App. No.
17/679,801
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing customized message content to be displayed to a user of an email client, responsive to the user selecting, via a plug-in or agent of the email client, to report an email as a potential phishing email. In examples, the user may be an employee of an organization and the systems and methods may facilitate a determination by the plug-in or agent of the email client that the reported email is one that does not pose a security risk, such as a simulated phishing email sent by the organization itself, or an email sent from a trusted partner of the organization. The systems and methods may facilitate a customization of the message content that is displayed to the user. In examples, the customized message content may be included or specified within one or more SMTP extension headers of an SMTP email.

Claims (28)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an email client of a client device, a simulated phishing email having one or more Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) extension headers comprising a specification of content to display on the client device responsive to a user identifying via the client device the simulated phishing email as a phishing email;

receiving, by an agent of the email client, an indication that the user identified, via the email client, the simulated phishing email as the phishing email;

generating, by the agent of the email client responsive to the user identifying via the email client the simulated phishing email as the phishing email, a message using the content specified from the one or more SMTP extension headers in the simulated phishing email; and

causing the client device to display the message.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the message to be displayed in a pop-up box.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more SMTP extension headers comprise one or more dynamic fields to be populated by the agent.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining, by the agent, content to be displayed in the one or more dynamic fields of the message.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more dynamic fields are to be populated with a user's name, an organization's name, a simulated phishing campaign name or a date.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more SMTP extension headers comprise a predetermined identifier that identifies the simulated phishing email as a known simulated phishing email.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining, by the agent, the simulated phishing email is a known simulated phishing email based at least on the presence of the predetermined identifier in the one or more SMTP extension headers.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating, by the agent, the message using the content specified from the one or more SMTP extension headers in the simulated phishing email responsive to the determination that the simulated phishing email is the known simulated phishing email.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the email client of the client device, the simulated phishing email communicated by a server to one or more email accounts.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is received responsive to the user reporting that the simulated phishing email is the phishing email via a user interface element displayed via the email client.

11. A system comprising:

a client device having an email client configured to receive a simulated phishing email having one or more Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) extension headers comprising a specification of content to display on the client device responsive to a user identifying via the client device the simulated phishing email as a phishing email;

an agent of the email client configured to receive an indication that the user identified, via the email client, the simulated phishing email as the phishing email;

generate responsive to the user identifying via the email client the simulated phishing email as the phishing email, a message using the content specified from the one or more SMTP extension headers in the simulated phishing email; and

cause the message to be displayed via the client device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the message is displayed in a pop-up box.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more SMTP extension headers comprise one or more dynamic fields to be populated by the agent.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the agent is further configured to determine content to be displayed in the one or more dynamic fields of the message.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more dynamic fields are to be populated with a user's name, an organization's name, a simulated phishing campaign name or a date.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more SMTP extension headers comprise a predetermined identifier that identifies the simulated phishing email as a known simulated phishing email.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the agent is further configured to determine the simulated phishing email is a known simulated phishing email based at least on the presence of the predetermined identifier in the one or more SMTP extension headers.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the agent is further configured to generate the message using the content specified from the one or more SMTP extension headers in the simulated phishing email responsive to the determination that the simulated phishing email is the known simulated phishing email.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the email client of the client device is further configured to receive the simulated phishing email communicated by a server to one or more email accounts.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the indication is received responsive to the user reporting that the simulated phishing email is the phishing email via a user interface element displayed via the email client.

Assignments (4)
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 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2023
From: KNOWBE4, INC.
To: OWL ROCK CORE INCOME CORP., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062627/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2022
From: KRAS, GREG; ALESSANDRINI, ADAM
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 061374/0861 →