Patents by Inventor Phillip Andrew Porras

Phillip Andrew Porras 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).

  • Patent number: 9973473
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for rapid filtering of opaque data traffic are disclosed. According to one method, the method includes receiving a packet containing a payload. The method also includes analyzing a portion of the payload for determining whether the packet contains compressed or encrypted data. The method further includes performing, if the packet contains compressed or encrypted data, at least one of sending the packet to an opaque traffic analysis engine for analysis, discarding the packet, logging the packet, or marking the packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
    Inventors: Andrew Maxwell White, Fabian Monrose, Srinivas Krishnan, Phillip Andrew Porras, Michael Donald Bailey
  • Patent number: 9407509
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and at least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso De Jesus Valdes
  • Patent number: 9083712
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for generating highly predictive blacklists. One embodiment of a method for generating a blacklist of network addresses for a user of a network includes collecting security log data from users of the network, the security log data identifying observed attacks by attack sources, assigning the attack sources to the blacklist based on a combination of the relevance each attack source to the user and the maliciousness of the attack source, and outputting the blacklist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Jian Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150052601
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for rapid filtering of opaque data traffic are disclosed. According to one method, the method includes receiving a packet containing a payload. The method also includes analyzing a portion of the payload for determining whether the packet contains compressed or encrypted data. The method further includes performing, if the packet contains compressed or encrypted data, at least one of sending the packet to an opaque traffic analysis engine for analysis, discarding the packet, logging the packet, or marking the packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Andrew Maxwell White, Fabian Monrose, Srinivas Krishnan, Phillip Andrew Porras, Michael Donald Bailey
  • Patent number: 8955122
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for detecting malware infection. One embodiment of a method for detecting a malware infection at a local host in a network, includes monitoring communications between the local host and one or more entities external to the network, generating a dialog warning if the communications include a transaction indicative of a malware infection, declaring a malware infection if, within a predefined period of time, the dialog warnings includes at least one dialog warning indicating a transaction initiated at the local host and at least one dialog warning indicating an additional transaction indicative of a malware infection, and outputting an infection profile for the local host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Guofei Gu, Phillip Andrew Porras, Martin Fong
  • Patent number: 8249028
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying wireless transmitters. In one embodiment, a method for identifying a transmitter in a wireless computing network includes extracting one or more radio frequency signal characteristics from a communication from the transmitter and generating a fingerprint of the transmitter in accordance at least one of the extracted radio frequency signal characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Michael G. Corr, Steven Mark Dawson, David Watt, David Manseau, John Peter Marcotullio
  • Publication number: 20120210425
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and at least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: SRI INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso de Jesus Valdes
  • Patent number: 7724717
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for wireless network security. In one embodiment, a method for securing a wireless computing network includes receiving a communication from an unidentified transmitter, identifying the transmitter in accordance with a fingerprint generated from one or more radio frequency signal characteristics extracted from the communication, and taking action in response to an identity of the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Michael G. Corr, Steven Mark Dawson, David Watt, David Manseau, John Peter Marcotullio
  • Patent number: 7694115
    Abstract: A system for managing network alerts including data connections adapted to receive alerts from network sensors, alert processing logic coupled to the data connections and further including alert integration logic operable to integrate the alerts, report generation logic coupled to the alert integration logic, distribution logic coupled to the report generation logic and a remote management unit coupled to the alert processing logic and being operable to dynamically modify the alert processing logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Martin Wayne Fong
  • Publication number: 20100050248
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and at least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso De Jesus Valdes
  • Patent number: 7594260
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and a least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso Valdes
  • Publication number: 20090172815
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for detecting malware infection. One embodiment of a method for detecting a malware infection at a local host in a network, includes monitoring communications between the local host and one or more entities external to the network, generating a dialog warning if the communications include a transaction indicative of a malware infection, declaring a malware infection if, within a predefined period of time, the dialog warnings includes at least one dialog warning indicating a transaction initiated at the local host and at least one dialog warning indicating an additional transaction indicative of a malware infection, and outputting an infection profile for the local host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Guofei Gu, Phillip Andrew Porras, Martin Fong
  • Publication number: 20090064332
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for generating highly predictive blacklists. One embodiment of a method for generating a blacklist of network addresses for a user of a network includes collecting security log data from users of the network, the security log data identifying observed attacks by attack sources, assigning the attack sources to the blacklist based on a combination of the relevance each attack source to the user and the maliciousness of the attack source, and outputting the blacklist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Jian Zhang
  • Patent number: 7379993
    Abstract: This invention uses Bayesian techniques to prioritize alerts or alert groups generated by intrusion detection systems and other information security devices, such as network analyzers, network monitors, firewalls, antivirus software, authentication services, host and application security services, etc. In a preferred embodiment, alerts are examined for the presence of one or more relevant features, such as the type of an attack, the target of an attack, the outcome of an attack, etc. At least a subset of the features is then provided to a real-time Bayes network, which assigns relevance scores to the received alerts or alert groups. In another embodiment, a network manager (a person) can disagree with the relevance score assigned by the Bayes network, and give an alert or alert group a different relevance score. The Bayes network is then modified so that similar future alerts or alert groups will be assigned a relevance score that more closely matches the score given by the network manager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Alfonso De Jesus Valdes, Martin Wayne Fong, Phillip Andrew Porras
  • Patent number: 7143444
    Abstract: A method includes passing a request for data received by a first server process executing in a first server to a detection process that includes packing a subset of the data into an analysis format and passing the subset to an analysis process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Magnus Almgren, Ulf E. Lindqvist, Steven Mark Dawson
  • Publication number: 20040221191
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and a least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso Valdes
  • Patent number: 6711615
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and a least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso Valdes
  • Patent number: 6708212
    Abstract: A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and a least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Alfonso Valdes
  • Patent number: 6704874
    Abstract: A method of managing alerts in a network including receiving alerts from network sensors, consolidating the alerts that are indicative of a common incident and generating output reflecting the consolidated alerts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Martin Wayne Fong
  • Publication number: 20040024864
    Abstract: Preferred embodiments combine audit records with other relevant information to identify and track the users, processes or applications responsible for an attack. Information that identifies a user, process, or application may be associated with subsequent audit records related to the user or process session; this information may also be associated with IDS alerts related to the session. By reliably identifying the source of user and process sessions, the preferred embodiments make it possible to selectively target the sessions and applications that are related to an intrusion or attack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Porras, Martin Wayne Fong