IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,689
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,689 · App. 18/152,483 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Centralized management of policies for network-accessible devices

Inventor: Craig Robert Jones (Carmarthen, GB)
Assignee: Sophos Limited
H04L63/20H04L63/10H04L63/1416H04L63/1425
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,689
App. No.
18/152,483
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various aspects related to methods, systems, and computer readable media for centralized management of policies for network-accessible devices. An example method for deploying network policies to one or more computing devices or services can include receiving a request to analyze a network-accessible item for malicious activity, determining that the analyzed network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity, presenting, at a client device, a listing of selectable devices and services responsive to the determination, wherein the listing is populated based on identifying data of the user, receiving at least one selection from the listing of selectable devices and services, creating at least one network access policy based on the at least one selection, and, deploying the at least one network access policy to a device or service associated with the at least one selection.

Claims (60)

1. A computer-implemented method to deploy network policies to one or more computing devices or services, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to analyze a network-accessible item for malicious activity,

wherein the request includes an identification of the network-accessible item;

determining that the network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity;

presenting, at a client device, a listing of selectable devices or services, wherein the listing is populated based on identifying data of the user;

receiving, from the user, at least one selection from the listing of selectable devices or services;

creating at least one network access policy based on the at least one selection; and

deploying the at least one network access policy to a device or service associated with the at least one selection.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the listing of selectable devices or services comprises:

presenting the listing of selectable devices and services in a graphical user interface (GUI),

wherein the GUI comprises one or more selectable fields representative of the devices or services.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the listing of selectable devices or services comprises:

presenting the listing of selectable devices and services through a web-based interface rendered by a centralized server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the request to analyze the network-accessible item for malicious activity is received after providing the user with a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a text field for the identification of the network-accessible item; and

the network-accessible item to be analyzed for malicious activity is one or more of: a web address; one or more files; or a hash value of the one or more files.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the web address is associated with a domain name, a website, a uniform resource locator (URL), or an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the analyzed network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity comprises determining that the network-accessible item matches one or more criteria associated with items that are known to be harmful to the client device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the listing of selectable devices or services comprises a listing of one or more of:

endpoint devices;

proxies;

firewalls;

switches; or

gateway devices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the listing of selectable devices or services comprises a listing of one or more of:

e-mail services;

firewall services;

anti-malware services; or

anti-virus services.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one network access policy is a network access policy configured to prevent a corresponding network-accessible device from accessing the analyzed network-accessible item.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one network access policy is a network access policy configured to cause a corresponding service to prevent user accounts or devices from accessing the analyzed network-accessible item.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the deployed at least one network access policy is implemented by the device or service associated with the at least one selection.

12. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media with instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processing devices, causes the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user to analyze a network-accessible item for malicious activity,

wherein the request includes an identification of the network-accessible item;

determining that the analyzed network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity;

presenting, at a client device, a listing of selectable devices and services responsive to the determination, wherein the listing is populated based on identifying data of the user;

receiving, from the user, at least one selection from the listing of selectable devices and services;

creating at least one network access policy based on the at least one selection; and

deploying the at least one network access policy to a device or service associated with the at least one selection.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein presenting the listing of selectable devices and services comprises:

presenting the listing of selectable devices and services in a graphical user interface (GUI),

wherein the GUI comprises one or more selectable fields representative of the devices and services.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein presenting the listing of selectable devices and services comprises:

presenting the listing of selectable devices and services through a web-based interface rendered by a centralized server.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein determining that the analyzed network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity comprises determining that the network-accessible item matches one or more criteria associated with items that are known to be harmful to the client device.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the listing of selectable devices and services comprises a listing of one or more of: endpoint devices, proxies, firewalls, switches, or gateway devices.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the listing of selectable devices and services comprises a listing of one or more of: e-mail services, firewall services, anti-malware services, or anti-virus services.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the at least one network access policy is a network access policy configured to prevent and/or prohibit a corresponding network-accessible device from accessing the analyzed network-accessible item, and further configured to instruct a corresponding service to prevent and/or prohibit user accounts or devices from accessing the analyzed network-accessible item.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the deployed at least one network access policy is consumed and implemented by the device or service associated with the at least one selection.

20. A threat management computer system to manage security threats on an enterprise network, comprising:

a memory with instructions stored thereon;

one or more processing devices, coupled to the memory, the one or more processing devices configured to access the memory and execute the instructions; and

one or more network devices coupled to the one or more processing devices and configured to receive requests issued by a plurality of client devices, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations including:

receiving a request from a user to analyze a network-accessible item for malicious activity, wherein the request includes an identification of the network-accessible item;

determining that the analyzed network-accessible item is associated with the malicious activity;

presenting, at a client device of the plurality of client devices, a listing of selectable devices and services responsive to the determination, wherein the listing is populated based on identifying data of the user;

receiving, from the user, at least one selection from the listing of selectable devices and services;

creating at least one network access policy based on the at least one selection; and

deploying the at least one network access policy to a device or service associated with the at least one selection.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2023
From: JONES, CRAIG ROBERT
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 062330/0079 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63331292 · Apr 15, 2022
Related Publication 20230336591A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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