IP Library Granted Patent US 12,273,383
Granted Patent B2
US 12,273,383 · App. 17/747,265 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Systems and methods of simulated phishing campaign contextualization

Inventors: Greg Kras (Dunedin, FL); Katie Brennan (Clearwater, FL)
Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
H04L63/1483G06N20/00H04L63/1433
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,273,383
App. No.
17/747,265
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for contextualizing a simulated phishing communication based at least on one of language and locale. Initially, a template for a simulated phishing communication is created with content in a source language. Then one or more contextual parameters for a user are identified. The one or more contextual parameters identify at least one of a target language and a target locale. The content of the simulated phishing communication is modified according to at least one of the target language and the target locale and the simulated phishing communication is communicated to one or more devices of the user with the content modified for at least one of the target language and the target locale.

Claims (29)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, one or more contextual parameters for a user, the one or more contextual parameters identifying at least a job role of the user;

determining, by the one or more processors, which of the one or more contextual parameters take precedence based on a setting or a result of a simulated phishing campaign;

modifying, by the one or more processors, content of a simulated phishing communication according to the job role of the user; and

communicating, by the one or more processors, the simulated phishing communication to one or more devices of the user with the content modified according to the job role of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more contextual parameters identify a target language and target locale of content for the simulated phishing communication.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising modifying, by the one or more processors, a source language of the content created for the simulated phishing communication according to the target language and the target locale to use in the simulated phishing communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more contextual parameters identify one or more of the following: language spoken by the user, locale of the user, the time at which the user changes their locale, job title of the user, job department of the user, religious belief of the user, topic of communication, subject of communication, name of manager or subordinate of the user, industry, address, name or nickname of the user, subscriptions, preferences, recent browsing history, recent transaction history, recent communications with peers/manager/human resource partners/banking partners, social events, and regional currency and units.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating, by the one or more processors, a template for the simulated phishing communication.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising modifying, by the one or more processors, content specified by the template based at least on the one or more contextual parameters.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, which of the one or more contextual parameters take precedence over another one or more contextual parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, by the one or more processors, setting of the precedence of the one or more contextual parameters from a system administrator.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising learning, by the one or more processors, the precedence of the one or more contextual parameters from results of previous simulated phishing campaigns.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically parsing, by the one or more processors, information in the content associated with a job role to be replaced with information relevant to the job role of the user.

11. A system comprising:

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

identify one or more contextual parameters for a user, wherein the one or more contextual parameters identify at least a job role of the user;

determine which of the one or more contextual parameters take precedence based on a setting or a result of a simulated phishing campaign;

modify content of a simulated phishing communication according to the job role of the user; and

communicate the simulated phishing communication to one or more devices of the user with the content modified according to the job role of the user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more contextual parameters identify a target language and target locale of content for the simulated phishing communication.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify a source language of the content created for the simulated phishing communication according to the target language and the target locale to use in the simulated phishing communication.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more contextual parameters identify one or more of the following: language spoken by the user, locale of the user, the time at which the user changes their locale, job title of the user, job department of the user, religious belief of the user, topic of communication, subject of communication, name of manager or subordinate of the user, industry, address, name or nickname of the user, subscriptions, preferences, recent browsing history, recent transaction history, recent communications with peers/manager/human resource partners/banking partners, social events, and regional currency and units.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to create a template for the simulated phishing communication.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify content specified by the template based at least on the one or more contextual parameters.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine which of the one or more contextual parameters take precedence over another one or more contextual parameters.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive setting of the precedence of the one or more contextual parameters from a system administrator.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to learn the precedence of the one or more contextual parameters from results of previous simulated phishing campaigns.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to automatically parse information in the content associated with a job role to be replaced with information relevant to the job role of the user.

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 Dec 21, 2022
From: KRAS, GREG; BRENNAN, KATIE
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 062172/0385 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17390515 · Jul 30, 2021
Provisional Application 63070386 · Aug 26, 2020
Related Publication 20220279019A1 · Sep 1, 2022
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