Patents by Inventor Andrew J. Thomas

Andrew J. Thomas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240143754
    Abstract: In embodiments, a framework for an extensible, file-based security system is described for determining an appropriate application, application environment, and/or access or security control measure based at least in part on a file's reputation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventor: Andrew J. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11973232
    Abstract: Nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material comprising at least 90 collectively Pt, Ni, and Ta. The nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material is useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. L. Steinbach, Andrew T. Haug, Amy Hester, Krzysztof A. Lewinski, Sean M. Luopa, Grant M. Thoma, Jonah D. Erlebacher
  • Patent number: 11962621
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a computer system, information related to device health of an electronic device, determining, by the computer system, a health status of the electronic device based at least in part on the received information related to the device health of the electronic device, requesting, by a switch having a port connected to the electronic device, the health status of the electronic device from the computer system, receiving, by the computer system, the request for the health status of the electronic device from the switch, transmitting, by the computer system, the health status of the electronic device to the switch, evaluating, by the switch, the transmitted health status of the electronic device using network access rules associated corresponding to health statuses, and applying, by the switch, a network access control configuration to the port of the switch based on the evaluating the transmitted health status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Biju Ramachandra Kaimal, Andrew J. Thomas, Kerav Vaidya, Yogesh Bansal, Robert Paul Andrews
  • Patent number: 11955645
    Abstract: Catalysts comprising a Ta layer having an outer layer with a layer comprising Pt directly thereon, wherein the Ta layer has an average thickness in a range from 0.04 to 30 nanometers, wherein the layer comprising Pt has an average thickness in a range from 0.04 to 50 nanometers, and wherein the Pt and Ta are present in an atomic ratio in a range from 0.01:1 to 10:1. Catalyst described herein are useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. L. Steinbach, Andrew T. Haug, Krzysztof A. Lewinski, Amy E. Hester, Grant M. Thoma, Cedric Bedoya, Zhenhua Zeng, Jeffrey P. Greeley
  • Publication number: 20240112115
    Abstract: In a threat management platform, a number of endpoints log events in an event data recorder. A local agent filters this data and feeds a filtered data stream to a central threat management facility. The central threat management facility can locally or globally tune filtering by local agents based on the current data stream, and can query local event data recorders for additional information where necessary or helpful in threat detection or forensic analysis. The central threat management facility also stores and deploys a number of security tools such as a web-based user interface supported by machine learning models to identify potential threats requiring human intervention and other models to provide human-readable context for evaluating potential threats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Beata Ladnai, Mark D. Harris, Andrew G. P. Smith, Kenneth D. Ray, Andrew J. Thomas, Russell Humphries
  • Patent number: 11928631
    Abstract: A computer model is created for automatically evaluating the business value of computing objects such as files and databases on an endpoint. This can be used to assess the potential business impact of a security compromise to an endpoint, or a process executing on an endpoint, in order to prioritize potential threats within an enterprise for human review and intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Russell Humphries, Andrew J. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11928231
    Abstract: An authentication model dynamically adjusts authentication factors required for access to a remote resource based on changes to a risk score for a user, a device, or some combination of these. For example, the authentication model may conditionally specify the number and type of authentication factors required by a user/device pair, and may dynamically alter authentication requirements based on changes to a current risk assessment for the user/device while the remote resource is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Joseph H. Levy, Andrew J. Thomas, Daniel Salvatore Schiappa, Kenneth D. Ray
  • Patent number: 11924643
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable media for rogue access point detection are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Anil Kaushik, Andrew J. Thomas, Shail Talati, Dirk Bolte
  • Patent number: 11916907
    Abstract: Where a single networked security service supports multiple enterprises, this security service can operate as a shared source of trust so that security devices associated with one enterprise can provide authenticated, policy-based management of computing devices associated with another enterprise. For example, an enterprise firewall can advantageously manage network access for a new device based on a shared and authenticated relationship with the networked security service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Andrew J. Thomas, Moritz Daniel Grimm, Thomas Rolf-Werner Eckert, Kenneth D. Ray
  • Publication number: 20240062133
    Abstract: An automated system attempts to characterize code as safe or unsafe. For intermediate code samples not placed with sufficient confidence in either category, human-readable analysis is automatically generated to assist a human reviewer in reaching a final disposition. For example, a random forest over human-interpretable features may be created and used to identify suspicious features in a manner that is understandable to, and actionable by, a human reviewer. Similarly, a k-nearest neighbor algorithm may be used to identify similar samples of known safe and unsafe code based on a model for, e.g., a file path, a URL, an executable, and so forth. Similar code may then be displayed (with other information) to a user for evaluation in a user interface. This comparative information can improve the speed and accuracy of human interventions by providing richer context for human review of potential threats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Joshua Daniel Saxe, Andrew J. Thomas, Russell Humphries, Simon Neil Reed, Kenneth D. Ray, Joseph H. Levy
  • Publication number: 20240037477
    Abstract: An endpoint coupled in a communicating relationship with an enterprise network may include a data recorder configured to store an event stream of data indicating events on the endpoint including types of changes to computing objects, a filter configured to locally process the event stream into a filtered event stream including a subset of types of changes to the computing objects, and a local security agent. The local security agent may be configured to transmit the filtered event stream to a threat management facility, respond to a filter adjustment from the threat management facility by adjusting the filter to modify the subset of types of changes included in the filtered event stream, and respond to a query from the threat management facility by retrieving data stored in the data recorder over a time window before the query and excluded from the filtered event stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Beata Ladnai, Mark D. Harris, Andrew G. P. Smith, Kenneth D. Ray, Andrew J. Thomas, Russell Humphries
  • Patent number: 11853414
    Abstract: Trampoline and return-oriented programming attacks employ a variety of techniques to maliciously execute instructions on a device in a manner different from a legitimate programmer's original intent. By instrumenting a device to detect deviations from predicted behavior, these exploits can be identified and mitigated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Erik Jan Loman, Lute Edwin Engels, Andrew J. Thomas, Kenneth D. Ray
  • Patent number: 11853425
    Abstract: Malware uses various techniques to detect a sandbox environment so that malicious code can avoid execution in closely monitored contexts that might otherwise trigger detection and remediation. A security system is dynamically updated to exploit these anti-sandbox techniques, e.g., by causing endpoints to mimic sandbox environments in a manner that discourages malware execution on the endpoint, and by updating sandboxes to alter or hide sandbox detection triggers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Ross McKerchar, Erik Jan Loman, Simon Neil Reed, Kenneth D. Ray, Andrew J. Thomas, Karl Ackerman
  • Publication number: 20230403297
    Abstract: A variety of techniques are disclosed for detection of advanced persistent threats and similar malware. In one aspect, the detection of certain network traffic at a gateway is used to trigger a query of an originating endpoint, which can use internal logs to identify a local process that is sourcing the network traffic. In another aspect, an endpoint is configured to periodically generate and transmit a secure heartbeat, so that an interruption of the heartbeat can be used to signal the possible presence of malware. In another aspect, other information such as local and global reputation information is used to provide context for more accurate malware detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Andrew J. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11843631
    Abstract: An endpoint in an enterprise network is monitored, and when a potential trigger for a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is followed by an increase in network traffic from the endpoint to a high reputation network address, the endpoint is treated as a DDoS service bot and isolated from the network until remediation can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Karl Ackerman, Mark David Harris, Simon Neil Reed, Andrew J. Thomas, Kenneth D. Ray
  • Patent number: 11836664
    Abstract: In a threat management platform, a number of endpoints log events in an event data recorder. A local agent filters this data and feeds a filtered data stream to a central threat management facility. The central threat management facility can locally or globally tune filtering by local agents based on the current data stream, and can query local event data recorders for additional information where necessary or helpful in threat detection or forensic analysis. The central threat management facility also stores and deploys a number of security tools such as a web-based user interface supported by machine learning models to identify potential threats requiring human intervention and other models to provide human-readable context for evaluating potential threats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventors: Karl Ackerman, Russell Humphries, Mark Anthony Russo, Andrew J. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20230385447
    Abstract: A threat management system provides a collection of queries for investigating security issues within an enterprise. Useful inferences are drawn about the value of different queries, and about the security posture of the enterprise, by monitoring contextual activity such as the popularity and context of query usage, patterns of end user modification to queries, and post-query activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Karl Ackerman, Andrew J. Thomas, Kenneth D. Ray
  • Publication number: 20230358895
    Abstract: A method for multi-track environmental fault monitoring for aerial platforms includes estimating a normalized squared residual error (NSRE) for each of one or more satellite-receiver tracks over time. The method also includes determining an averaged NSRE for each satellite-receiver track by averaging the NSRE over multiple time windows. The method further includes performing a threshold test on the averaged NSRE to determine a filter state. In addition, the method includes determining whether to apply a scale factor for each satellite-receiver track based on the filter state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Shuwu Wu, Matt Keti, Andrew J. Thomas, Joseph Chang
  • Publication number: 20230326356
    Abstract: A method includes repeatedly determining a distance of an aircraft from a landing location. The method also includes, during a first stage in which the aircraft is at least a threshold distance from the landing location, performing iono-free processing during navigation of the aircraft. The method further includes, during a second stage in which the aircraft is less than the threshold distance from the landing location and a velocity of the aircraft is greater than a velocity threshold, performing divergence-free processing during navigation of the aircraft to address possible ionospheric threats. In addition, the method includes, during a third stage in which the aircraft is less than the threshold distance from the landing location and the velocity of the aircraft is less than the velocity threshold, calculating one or more floor values for a Differential Ionospheric Correction (DIC) sigma, and determining a navigation solution to protect against nominal ionospheric conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Shuwu Wu, Andrew J. Thomas, Joseph Chang
  • Patent number: 11783069
    Abstract: A collection of documents or other files and the like within an enterprise network are labelled according to an enterprise document classification scheme, and then a recognition model such as a neural network or other machine learning model can be used to automatically label other files throughout the enterprise network. In this manner, documents and the like throughout an enterprise can be automatically identified and managed according to features such as confidentiality, sensitivity, security risk, business value, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Sophos Limited
    Inventor: Andrew J. Thomas