IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,437,266
Granted Patent B2
US 12,437,266 · App. 18/065,225 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Network security tool

Inventors: Andrew M. Wisdom (Mountain Top, PA); David A. Casto (Mountain Top, PA)
Assignee: The Prudential Insurance Company of America
G06Q10/10G06F21/577G06Q10/0635G06Q40/08H04L63/14H04L63/1433H04L67/535
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,437,266
App. No.
18/065,225
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a memory, a survey engine, and a reporting engine. The memory stores identifying information of a plurality of users. The survey engine determines a question to present to each user of the plurality of users and determines an interval for each user of the plurality of users. The determined interval for a first user of the plurality of users is different from the determined interval for a second user of the plurality of users. For each user, the survey engine communicates to that user, based on the stored identifying information, the determined question for that user according to the determined interval for that user and receives a response from each user of the plurality of users. The reporting engine generates a report based on the received response from the plurality of users.

Claims (64)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store identifying information of a first user; and

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the hardware processor configured to:

determine a first question to present to the first user, wherein the determined first question pertains to previous activity of the first user on a network;

determine an interval based on previous activity of the first user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the first user on the network does not indicate that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval has passed, communicate the first question to a device of the first user based on the stored identifying information of the first user;

receive, from the device of the first user, a response to the first question for the first user, wherein the response to the first question for the first user indicates that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determine an adjusted interval for the first user based on the first user's response to the first question, wherein the adjusted interval for the first user is one of a random interval; and

subsequently communicate a second question to the device of the first user according to the adjusted interval determined for the first user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the memory is further configured to store identifying information of a second user; and

the hardware processor is further configured to determine a first question for the second user, wherein the first question for the second user pertains to previous activity of the second user on the network.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first question for the second user is different than the first question for the first user.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine an interval for the second user based on previous activity of the second user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the second user on the network does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval for the second user has passed, communicate the first question for the second user to a device of the second user based on the stored identifying information of the second user;

receive, from the device of the second user, a response to the first question for the second user, wherein the response to the first question for the second user does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determine an adjusted interval for the second user based on the second user's response to the first question for the second user, wherein determining the adjusted interval for the second user comprises randomly generating the adjusted interval for the second user; and

subsequently communicate a second question for the second user to the device of the second user according to the adjusted interval determined for the second user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to generate a report based on the received response from the first user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to send the response from the first user to a remote database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to retrieve the response from the first user from the remote database.

8. A method comprising:

storing identifying information of a first user;

determining a first question to present to the first user, wherein the determined first question pertains to previous activity of the first user on a network;

determining an interval based on previous activity of the first user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the first user on the network does not indicate that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval has passed, communicating the first question to a device of the first user based on the stored identifying information of the first user;

receiving, from the device of the first user, a response to the first question for the first user, wherein the response to the first question for the first user indicates that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determining an adjusted interval for the first user based on the first user's response to the first question, wherein the adjusted interval for the first user is one of a random interval; and

subsequently communicating a second question to the first user according to the adjusted interval determined for the first user.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

storing identifying information of a second user; and

determining a first question for the second user, wherein the first question for the second user pertains to previous activity of the second user on the network.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first question for the second user is different than the first question for the first user.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining an interval for the second user based on previous activity of the second user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the second user on the network does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval for the second user has passed, communicating the first question for the second user to a device of the second user based on the stored identifying information of the second user;

receiving, from the device of the second user, a response to the first question for the second user, wherein the response to the first question for the second user does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determining an adjusted interval for the second user based on the second user's response to the first question for the second user, wherein determining the adjusted interval for the second user comprises randomly generating the adjusted interval for the second user; and

subsequently communicating a second question for the second user to the device of the second user according to the adjusted interval determined for the second user.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating a report based on the received response from the first user.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising sending the response from the first user to a remote database.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising retrieving the response from the first user from the remote database.

15. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store identifying information of a first user; and

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the hardware processor configured to:

determine a first question to present to the first user of a device configured to access a network, wherein the determined first question pertains to previous activity of the first user on the network;

determine an interval based on previous activity of the first user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the first user on the network does not indicate that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval has passed, communicate the first question to the first user based on the stored identifying information of the first user;

receive, from the first user, a response to the first question for the first user, wherein the response to the first question for the first user indicates that the first user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determine an adjusted interval for the first user based on the first user's response to the first question, wherein the adjusted interval for the first user is one of a random interval; and

subsequently communicate a second question to the first user according to the adjusted interval determined for the first user.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the memory is further configured to store identifying information of a second user; and

the hardware processor is further configured to determine a first question for the second user, wherein the first question for the second user pertains to previous activity of the second user on the network.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first question for the second user is different than the first question for the first user.

18. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a second user of a device configured to access the network, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine an interval for the second user based on previous activity of the second user on the network, wherein the previous activity of the second user on the network does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

upon determining that the determined interval for the second user has passed, communicate the first question for the second user to the second user based on the stored identifying information of the second user;

receive, from the device of the second user, a response to the first question for the second user, wherein the response to the first question for the second user does not indicate that the second user has engaged in activities on the network that are classified as undesirable;

determine an adjusted interval for the second user based on the second user's response to the first question for the second user, wherein determining the adjusted interval for the second user comprises randomly generating the adjusted interval for the second user; and

subsequently communicate a second question for the second user to the second user according to the adjusted interval determined for the second user.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to generate a report based on the received response from the first user.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to send the response from the first user to a remote database.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2022
From: WISDOM, ANDREW M.; CASTO, DAVID A.
To: THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA
Reel/Frame 062071/0117 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17235622 · Apr 20, 2021
Continuation 15188399 · Jun 21, 2016
Related Publication 20230111139A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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