IP Library Granted Patent US 11,997,136
Granted Patent B2
US 11,997,136 · App. 17/982,412 · Granted May 28, 2024

Systems and methods for security awareness using ad-based simulated phishing attacks

Inventors: Greg Kras (Dunedin, FL); Chris Cline (St. Petersburg, FL)
Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
H04L63/1483G09B19/0053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,997,136
App. No.
17/982,412
Granted
May 28, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for modifying one or more advertisements of a webpage or a social media feed to create a simulated cybersecurity attack. Initially, content responsive to a request by a user via a user device to access a webpage or social media feed with one or more advertisements is received. One or more advertisements are detected within the content. An advertisement of the one or more advertisements is modified or replaced with simulated cybersecurity attack advertisements. The webpage or social media feed with the modified advertisement is displayed to the user device. User interactions with the simulated cybersecurity attack content are tracked and training is provided based on user interactions.

Claims (29)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, one or more sources providing advertisements;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, one or more structures of one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources;

determining, by the one or more processors based at least on analyzing, one of code construction or content to use for an advertisement within an advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to prevent from being blocked by an advertisement blocker;

generating, by the one or more processors, an advertisement to use within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack based at least on one of the code construction or the content;

generating, by the one or more processors, the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to include the generated advertisement and

communicating, by the one or more processors the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to one or more devices of one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sources comprises one of a social media platform, a social media feed or a website.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing, by the one or more processors, the one or more structures of the one or more advertisements to evaluate which of the one or more advertisements have a higher probably not to be blocked by the advertisement blocker.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the one or more processors based at least one of the code construction or the content, a new advertisement for use within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack and to include with one or more other advertisements as part of the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying, by the one or more processors, one of the code construction or the content of an existing advertisement to generate the advertisement for the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, a latest one or more structures currently used in the one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources to use for the advertisement within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to provide a higher probability of the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack reaching the one or more users without being blocked by the advertisement blocker.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, a change in the one or more structures used in the one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying, by the one or more processors using one of the code construction or the content, an existing advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to provide the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack with a higher probability of not being blocked by the advertisement blocker.

9. A system comprising:

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

identify one or more sources providing advertisements;

analyze one or more structures of one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources;

determine, based at least on analyzing, one of code construction or content to use for an advertisement within an advertisement-based simulated phishing attack that to prevent from being blocked by an advertisement blocker;

generate an advertisement to use within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack based at least on one of the code construction or the content;

generate the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to include the generated advertisement and

communicate the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to one or more devices of one or more users.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sources comprises one of a social media platform, a social media feed or a website.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the one or more structures of the one or more advertisements to evaluate which of the one or more advertisements have a higher probably to be blocked by the advertisement blocker.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate, based at least one of the code construction or the content, a new advertisement for use within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack and to include with one or more other advertisements as part of the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify one of the code construction or the content of an existing advertisement to generate the advertisement for the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine latest one or more structures currently used in the one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources to use for the advertisement within the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to provide a higher probability of the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack reaching the one or more users without being blocked by the advertisement blocker.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a change in the one or more structures used in the one or more advertisements provided by the one or more sources.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify, using one of the code construction or the content, an existing advertisement-based simulated phishing attack to provide the advertisement-based simulated phishing attack with a higher probability of not being blocked by the advertisement blocker.

Assignments (5)
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 19, 2022
From: KRAS, GREG; CLINE, CHRIS
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 062144/0269 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2022
From: GRAS, GREG; CLINE, CHRIS
To: KNOWBE4, INC.
Reel/Frame 061690/0905 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17388924 · Jul 29, 2021
Provisional Application 63059352 · Jul 31, 2020
Related Publication 20230073430A1 · Mar 9, 2023