IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,854,057
Granted Patent B2
US 9,854,057 · App. 14/270,937 · Granted Dec 26, 2017

Network data collection and response system

Inventors: Suresh N. Chari (Tarrytown, NY); Pau-Chen Cheng (Yorktown Heights, NY); Xin Hu (White Plains, NY); Lawrence Koved (Pleasantville, NY); Josyula R. Rao (Briarcliff Manor, NY); Reiner Sailer (Scarsdale, NY); Douglas L. Schales (Ardsley, NY); Kapil K. Singh (White Plains, NY); Marc P. Stoecklin (Bern, CH)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
H04L67/303H04L63/1425H04L63/1466H04L67/22
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 9,854,057
App. No.
14/270,937
Granted
Dec 26, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments include a network data collection and response system for enhancing security in an enterprise network providing a user-supplied computing device with access to the network. A network data collection and response system tracks network activity of the device and maintains a device inventory recording the device type and configuration information for the device along with a resource utilization profile for the device. The network data collection and response system detects high-risk or unauthorized network activity involving the device through passive monitoring without utilization of a data monitoring agent installed on the device and implements a response action to mitigate the high-risk or unauthorized network.

Claims (46)

1. An enterprise network that is accessible to a computing device, the enterprise network comprising:

local network resources accessible to the device via the enterprise network;

a connection protocol server comprising a memory storing instructions and a processor executing the instructions, the processor of the connection protocol server executing instructions to assign a network address to the device to identify the device on the enterprise network in response to a network access request received from the device;

a network data collection and response system of the enterprise network that is operative to track network activity of the device including a device inventory comprising device type and configuration information for the device and a resource utilization profile for the device without utilization of a data monitoring agent installed on the device;

the network data collection and response system of the enterprise network is further operative to detect high-risk or unauthorized network activity involving the device through passive monitoring without utilization of a monitoring agent installed on the device, wherein to detect high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises identifying attempted access to applications that offer services that are not authorized by the enterprise;

the network data collection and response system further operative to implement a response action to mitigate the high-risk or unauthorized network activity, wherein the response action comprises one or more of:

blocking the unauthorized network activity and providing notice to a user of the device that the device has attempted to conduct unauthorized network activity;

notifying a user or monitoring system of the device of malware present on the device and removal of the malware from the device;

detecting malware transmitted from the device; and

removal of the malware from the enterprise network.

2. The enterprise network of claim 1 , further comprising a gateway configured in a local network to provide the device with access to external resources via the local network.

3. The enterprise network of claim 1 , wherein the passively monitored network activity includes one or more of a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request received from the device and a domain name server (DNS) request received from the device.

4. The enterprise network of claim 1 , wherein the passively monitored network activity includes one or more of a network flow information derived from network packets sent and received by the device and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request sent and response received by the device.

5. The enterprise network of claim 1 , wherein the high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises one or more of:

a combination of resources accessed by the device consistent of a high-risk activity profile maintained by the system; and

short response times and periodic response patterns indicative of programmatic or robot activity.

6. The enterprise network of claim 1 , wherein the network data collection and response system tracks and profiles the resource utilization of a device.

7. The enterprise network of claim 1 , wherein the network data collection infers one or more of the type and configuration information of the device.

8. A computer program product for providing a user-supplied computing device with access to an enterprise network comprising local network resources accessible to the device via the enterprise network, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, perform a method comprising:

tracking, by the enterprise network, network activity of the device through passive monitoring without utilization of a data monitoring agent installed on the device;

inferring type and configuration information of the device;

creating a device inventory comprising device type and one or more of configuration information for the device and a resource utilization profile for the device;

detecting, by the enterprise network, one or more of high-risk or unauthorized network activity involving the device, wherein the detecting high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises identifying attempted access to applications that offer services that are not authorized by the enterprise; and

implementing a response action to mitigate the high-risk or unauthorized network activity, wherein the response action comprises one or more of:

blocking the unauthorized network activity and providing notice to a user of the device that the device has attempted to conduct unauthorized network activity;

notifying a user or monitoring system of the device of malware present on the device and removal of the malware from the device;

detecting malware transmitted from the device; and

removal of the malware from the enterprise network.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein tracking network activity includes one or more of detecting and recording a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request received from the device, a domain name server (DNS) request received from the device, a network flow information derived from network packets sent and received by the device, and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request sent and response received by the device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises a combination of resources accessed by the device consistent of a high-risk activity profile maintained by the system.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises a short response times indicative of robot activity.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the network data collection and response system tracks and profiles the resource utilization of a device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the network data collection infers one or more of the type and configuration information of the device.

14. A network data recording and response system for enhancing security in a computer enterprise network providing a computing device with access to the enterprise network, the system operable for:

assigning, by a processor executing instructions stored on a memory of a connection protocol server, a network address to the device to identify the device on the enterprise network in response to a network access request received from the device;

tracking, by the enterprise network, network activity of the device through passive monitoring without utilization of a data monitoring agent installed on the device;

inferring one or more of type and configuration information of the device;

creating a device inventory comprising one or more of device type and configuration information for the device and a resource utilization profile for the device;

detecting, by the enterprise network, high-risk or unauthorized network activity involving the device, wherein the detecting high-risk or unauthorized network activity comprises identifying attempted access to applications that offer services that are not authorized by the enterprise; and

implementing a response action to mitigate the high-risk or unauthorized network activity, wherein the response action comprises one or more of:

blocking the unauthorized network activity and providing notice to a user of the device that the device has attempted to conduct unauthorized network activity;

notifying a user or monitoring system of the device of malware present on the device and removal of the malware from the device;

detecting malware transmitted from the device; and

removal of the malware from the enterprise network.

15. The network data recording and response system of claim 14 , wherein tracking network activity includes one or more of detecting and recording a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request received from the device, a domain name server (DNS) request received from the device, a network flow information packet received form the device, and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request received from the device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2014
From: CHARI, SURESH N.; CHENG, PAU-CHEN; HU, XIN; KOVED, LAWRENCE; RAO, JOSYULA R.; SAILER, REINER; SCHALES, DOUGLAS L.; SINGH, KAPIL K.; STOECKLIN, MARC P.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032832/0846 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150326594A1 · Nov 12, 2015