IP Library Granted Patent US 11,861,015
Granted Patent B1
US 11,861,015 · App. 17/209,050 · Granted Jan 2, 2024

Risk scoring system for vulnerability mitigation

Inventors: Tyler Reguly (Toronto, CA); Lamar Bailey (Cumming, GA); Lane Thames (Atlanta, GA); Craig Young (Alpharetta, GA)
Assignee: TRIPWIRE, INC.
G06F21/577G06F17/11G06F2221/034
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,861,015
App. No.
17/209,050
Granted
Jan 2, 2024
Kind
B1
Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture or disclosed for implementing risk scoring systems used for vulnerability mitigation in a distributed computing environment. In one disclosed example, a computer-implemented method of mitigating vulnerabilities within a computing environment includes producing a risk score indicating at least one of: a vulnerability component, a security configuration component, or a file integrity component for an object within the computing environment, producing a signal score indicating a factor that contributes to risk for the object, and combining the risk score and the signal score to produce a combined risk score indicating a risk level associated with at least one vulnerability of the computing system object. In some examples, the method further includes mitigating the at least one vulnerability by changing a state of a computing object using the combined risk score.

Claims (52)

1. A computer-implemented method of mitigating vulnerabilities within a computing environment, the method comprising:

producing a risk score based at least in part on a vulnerability component for an object within the computing environment, wherein the vulnerability component comprises at least an age component, wherein the risk score follows a model of:

from a minimum value for the age component, increasing to a local maxima as the age component reaches a first predetermined age,

decreasing to a local minima as the age component approaches a second predetermined age from the first predetermined age, the second predetermined age being greater than the first predetermined age, and

increasing as the age component increases past the second predetermined age;

producing a signal score indicating a factor that contributes to risk for the object; and

combining the risk score and the signal score to produce a combined risk score indicating a risk level associated with at least one vulnerability of the computing system object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

producing a vision score comprising at least one bucket for risk of the vulnerability on the network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mitigating one or more of the at least vulnerability by changing a state of at least one object within the computing environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mitigating a vulnerability identified in the computing environment using the combined risk score by changing a state of at least one computing object.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the risk score, the signal score, the combined risk score, or an overall risk score using a graphical display coupled to a computing device within the computing environment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the producing the vulnerability score comprises determining at least one of: the age of the vulnerability, the skill required to exploit the vulnerability, or the outcome of a successful exploitation of the vulnerability.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the producing the risk score and/or the signal score comprises indicating a crowned vulnerability deemed to need immediate mitigation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the risk score is determined by combining at least one of the following components: a risk component, a skill component, an age component, or a categorization component.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the risk score is determined by determining a security configuration management score and/or a file integrity management score.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the signal score is determined by evaluating at least one of a single type component, a criticality component, and/or a test component of an object in the computing environment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the signal score is based on at least one of: a name component, a description component, a single type component, a criticality component, a data source component, a data value component, a test count, a test method, a per test data component, a test definition component, and execution order component, a data match component, a midpoint identifier component, as no signal match component, or a no data source available component.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the combining the risk score and the signal score is based on a criticality indicated by the signal score.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the producing the vulnerability score, the producing the signal score, or combining the vulnerability score and the risk score includes a factor that contributes to risk for the object.

14. The method comprising computing an overall system risk score by combining two or more combined risk scores generating by the method of claim 1 .

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising displaying the overall system risk score on a display coupled to a computing system, the display including at least one of a numerical indication of the overall system risk score, a graphical indicator of the overall system risk score, or a color shaded indicator of the overall system or score.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the risk score is further produced based at least in part on one or more of a security configuration component and a file integrity component for the object within the computing environment.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

produce a risk score based at least in part on a vulnerability component for an object within the computing environment, wherein the vulnerability component comprises at least an age component, wherein the risk score follows a model of:

from a minimum value for the age component, increasing to a local maxima as the age component reaches a first predetermined age,

decreasing to a local minima as the age component approaches a second predetermined age from the first predetermined age, the second predetermined age being greater than the first predetermined age, and

increasing as the age component increases past the second predetermined age;

produce a signal score indicating a factor that contributes to risk for the object; and

combine the risk score and the signal score to produce a combined risk score indicating a risk level associated with at least one vulnerability of the computing system object.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:

produce a risk score based at least in part on a vulnerability component for an object within the computing environment, wherein the vulnerability component comprises at least an age component, wherein the risk score follows a model of:

from a minimum value for the age component, increasing to a local maxima as the age component reaches a first predetermined age,

decreasing to a local minima as the age component approaches a second predetermined age from the first predetermined age, the second predetermined age being greater than the first predetermined age, and

increasing as the age component increases past the second predetermined age;

produce a signal score indicating a factor that contributes to risk for the object; and

combine the risk score and the signal score to produce a combined risk score indicating a risk level associated with at least one vulnerability of the computing system object.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:

a risk score component implemented with an agent executed by a processor or a device profiler coupled to a compute object for which the risk score is determined.

Assignments (11)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2026
From: ALERT LOGIC, INC.; DIGITAL GUARDIAN LLC; ECRIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, INC.; FORTRA, LLC; GLOBALSCAPE, INC.; TRIPWIRE, INC.
To: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074233/0632 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 60306/0365 Recorded Nov 24, 2025
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: TRIPWIRE, INC.
Reel/Frame 074023/0235 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 60306/0555 Recorded Nov 24, 2025
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: TRIPWIRE, INC.
Reel/Frame 074023/0320 →
EXTENDED RCF FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 21, 2025
From: TRIPWIRE, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073663/0639 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 60306/0649 Recorded Nov 21, 2025
From: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC
To: TRIPWIRE, INC.
Reel/Frame 073663/0698 →
EXTENDED FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 21, 2025
From: TRIPWIRE, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073664/0124 →
NEW MONEY FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 21, 2025
From: ALERT LOGIC, INC.; DIGITAL GUARDIAN LLC; ECRIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, INC.; FORTRA, LLC; GLOBALSCAPE, INC.; TRIPWIRE, INC.; VERA SECURITY, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073683/0534 →
ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC (AS EXISTING AGENT)
To: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC (AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT)
Reel/Frame 072471/0665 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2022
From: TRIPWIRE, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060306/0365 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2022
From: TRIPWIRE, INC.
To: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060306/0649 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2021
From: REGULY, TYLER; BAILEY, LAMAR; THAMES, LANE; YOUNG, CRAIG
To: TRIPWIRE, INC.
Reel/Frame 057355/0593 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62992790 · Mar 20, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 12,395,513 US 12,430,445 US 12,664,502