Patents Assigned to KNOWBE4, INC.
  • Publication number: 20220224719
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that minimize ongoing risk to an organization from user behaviors which magnify the severity of a spoofed domain. Systems and method are provided which enable an entity and users of an entity to identify potential harmful domains, combining search, discovery, reporting, the generation of risk indicators, end-user risk assessments, and training into a security awareness system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Stu Sjouwerman, Alin Irimie, Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220224714
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a job score for a user based on the user's job title. In embodiments, the vulnerability of a user to malicious cybersecurity attacks, the propensity for the user to engage with a malicious attack, and the severity of a malicious attack likely to be sent to the user and the severity of the harm to the user's organization is the user engages with the malicious attack is represented in a user risk score. The risk score for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system, may be calculated based on one or more of a frequency score for the user, a propensity score for the user, a severity score for the user, and a job score for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Wayne Sites, Ryan Scott Davis, Daniel James DeCola
  • Publication number: 20220217165
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a risk score or vulnerable for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system. The server may create a frequency score for a user, which predicts the frequency at which the user is to be hit with a malicious attack. The frequency score may be based on at least a job score, which may be represented by a value that is based on the type of job the user has, and a breach score that may be represented by a value that is based on the user's level of exposure to email.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Sites, Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Marcio Castilho, Siegfried Martens, Eric Bonabeau, Kristian Kime
  • Patent number: 11381541
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for communication of a third-party application server with a third-party email client plug-in. The systems and the methods enable the third-party application server to provide a plug-in header contained in a message. The plug-in header may include an X-header. The X-header may be injected into the message. The plug-in installed within an email client receives the message. The plug-in is configured to process the plug-in header to identify one or more instructions to perform an action of one or more actions. The one or more instructions may relate to a property of a user and/or a property of the email client of the user. Responsive to the one or more instructions, the plug-in performs the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220210182
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for using secured groups for simulated phishing campaigns to obfuscate data for levels of privacy based on protected criteria classes. Initially, a group to resolve members of the group based on multiple users matching one or more group criteria is established. It is then determined that at least one criteria of the one or more criteria has been configured as one of multiple protected criteria classes. Responsive to the determination, the group is identified as a secured group. A query of the group is then executed to identify one or more users of the multiple users as members of the group based on the users matching the criteria of the secured group at the time of execution of the group and information of the one or more users resulting from the execution of the secured group is obfuscated in accordance with the protected criteria class.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Chris Cline
  • Publication number: 20220210191
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for using for a simulated phishing campaign, information about one or more situations of a user determined from an electronic calendar of the user, A campaign controller may identify/ an electronic calendar of a user for which to direct a simulated phishing campaign, determine one or more situations of the user from information stored in the electronic calendar and select either a template from a plurality of templates or a starting action from a plurality of starting actions for the simulated phishing campaign based at least on the one or more situations of the user. The campaign controller may communicate to one or more devices of the user a simulated phishing communication based at least on the respective template or starting action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220201018
    Abstract: Emboiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a risk score or vulnerable for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system. The server may create a frequency score for a user, which predicts the frequency at which the user is to be hit with a malicious attack. The frequency score may be based on at least a job score, which may be represented by a value that is based on the type of job the user has, and a breach score that may be represented by a value that is based on the user's level of exposure to email.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Sites, Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Marcio Castilho, Siegfried Martens, Eric Bonabeau, Kristian Kime
  • Publication number: 20220191233
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improving assessment of security risk based on a user's personal information. Registration of personal information of a user of an organization is received at a security awareness system. Post receiving the registration of the personal information, at least one of an exposure check or a security audit of the personal information of the user is performed by the security awareness system. A personal risk score of the user is then generated or adjusted based at least on a result of one of the exposure check or the security audit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220179951
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing customized message content to be displayed to a user of an email client, responsive to the user selecting, via a plug-in or agent of the email client, to report an email as a potential phishing email. In examples, the user may be an employee of an organization and the systems and methods may facilitate a determination by the plug-in or agent of the email client that the reported email is one that does not pose a security risk, such as a simulated phishing email sent by the organization itself, or an email sent from a trusted partner of the organization. The systems and methods may facilitate a customization of the message content that is displayed to the user. In examples, the customized message content may be included or specified within one or more SMTP extension headers of an SMTP email.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Adam Alessandrini
  • Patent number: 11356480
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for contextualizing a simulated phishing communication based at least on one of language and locale. Initially, a template for a simulated phishing communication is created with content in a source language. Then one or more contextual parameters for a user are identified. The one or more contextual parameters identify at least one of a target language and a target locale. The content of the simulated phishing communication is modified according to at least one of the target language and the target locale and the simulated phishing communication is communicated to one or more devices of the user with the content modified for at least one of the target language and the target locale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Katie Brennan
  • Publication number: 20220171860
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for mitigating false positives in a simulated phishing campaign. A simulated phishing message reported to second security awareness system by a user as suspicious is received by first security awareness system. The reported message includes a link that has been followed. Link data of followed link of the reported message is held in click cache having predetermined delay. Post the predetermined delay, whether the link was followed by second security awareness system instead of being clicked by user responsive to identifying that link data in click cache corresponds to link data in link cache or internet protocol (IP) address of an entity that follows a link corresponds to IP address stored in IP cache known to be associated with second security awareness system. Responsive to determination, second security awareness system's following of link of the reported message is excluded as interaction of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Patent number: 11349853
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a risk score or vulnerable for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system. The server may create a frequency score for a user, which predicts the frequency at which the user is to be hit with a malicious attack. The frequency score may be based on at least a job score, which may be represented by a value that is based on the type of job the user has, and a breach score that may be represented by a value that is based on the user's level of exposure to email.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Sites, Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Marcio Castilho, Siegfried Martens, Eric Bonabeau, Kristian Kime
  • Patent number: 11349849
    Abstract: This disclosure describes embodiments of an improvement to the static group solution because all the administrator needs to do is specify the criteria they care about. Unlike static groups, where the administrator needs to keep track of the status of individual users and move them between static groups as their status changes, smart groups allows for automatic identification of the relevant users at the moment that action needs to be taken. This feature automates user management for the purposes of enrollment in either phishing and training campaigns. Because the smart group membership is determined as the group is about to be used for something, the smart group membership is always accurate and never outdated. The query that determines the smart group membership gets run at the time when you are about to do a campaign or perform some other action that needs to know the membership of the smart group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Publication number: 20220166784
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for identifying other instances of messages corresponding to a reported malicious message. A report of a malicious message from a user of a plurality users using a messaging system is received. Responsive to the report of the malicious message, plain text of content selected from the malicious message is provided. Thereafter, one or more segments of the plain text are selected as key content for construction of a search. A search is then executed in the messaging system for one or more other malicious messages corresponding to the reported malicious message using the selected one or more segments of the plain text with one or more match criteria or no criteria. The one or more other malicious messages corresponding to the reported malicious message are identified in the messaging system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Patton, Steffan Perry, Amanda Lewis
  • Patent number: 11343276
    Abstract: This disclosure generally revolves around providing users with advance warning that a message that they have received may be suspicious. The user may not be aware of known threats, may not recognize threats in real time, or may not be aware of new threats, and therefore may unintentionally interact with a hazardous message. A security awareness system, on the other hand, is aware of known threats and may become aware of new threats more quickly than users can be trained to identify them. The system may notify the user when one of these threats are found in their messages. The disclosure further provides systems and methods for updating the security awareness training for users for new threats that appear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Edwards, Alin Irimie, Greg Kras
  • Patent number: 11336688
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing calendar-based simulated phishing attacks to users of an organization. Initially, a context is identified for a calendar-based simulated phishing attack directed towards a user. An electronic calendar invitation for the calendar-based simulated phishing attack is then generated using the context. Thereafter, the electronic calendar invitation may be communicated to an electronic calendar of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry Carpenter, Kathy Wattman, Morgan Flake, Detlev Weise, John Just, Kevin Mitnick
  • Patent number: 11334673
    Abstract: Systems and methods, disclosed herein, of a campaign controller that stores information to a database about execution of multiple simulated phishing campaigns for multiple users, where each of the simulated phishing campaigns use one or more models for communicating simulated phishing communications. Based on this information, the campaign controller may determine a rate of success of the model, in causing a user to interact with a link in one of the simulated phishing campaigns, and may display the model's rate of success via a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Stu Sjouwerman, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 11316892
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that minimize ongoing risk to an organization from user behaviors which magnify the severity of a spoofed domain. Systems and method are provided which enable an entity and users of an entity to identify potential harmful domains, combining search, discovery, reporting, the generation of risk indicators, end-user risk assessments, and training into a security awareness system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Stu Sjouwerman, Alin Irimie, Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220124112
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system that notifies users regarding specific user decisions with respect to solution phishing emails. The system notifies users when users perform specific actions with respect to the untrusted phishing emails. The system pauses execution of these actions and prompts the user to confirm whether to take the actions or to revert back to review the actions. In contrast from anti-ransomware technologies which are entirely in control, the system gives the user autonomy in deciding actions relating to untrusted phishing emails. The system interrupts execution of actions related to untrusted phishing emails in order to give users a choice on whether to proceed with actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret Lowry, Gauvin Repuspolo, Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20220109691
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for dynamically creating groups of users based on attributes for simulated phishing campaign. A campaign controller determines one or more attributes of a plurality of users during execution of a simulated phishing campaign and creates one or more groups of users during based on the identified attributes. The campaign controller selects a template to be used to execute a portion of the simulated phishing campaign for a first group of users and then communicates one or more simulated phishing communications to the first group of users according to the template. The template may identify a list of a plurality of types of simulated phishing communications (email, text or SMS message, phone call or Internet based communication) and at least a portion of the content for the simulated phishing communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites