Patents Assigned to KNOWBE4, INC.
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Publication number: 20220109691Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2021Publication date: April 7, 2022Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
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Patent number: 11295010Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system for saving metadata on files and using attribute data files inside a computing system to enhance the ability to provide user interfaces based on actions associated with non-executable attachments like text and document files from untrusted emails, to block execution of potentially harmful executable object downloads and files based on geographic location, and to a create a prompt for users to decide whether to continue execution of potentially harmful executable object downloads and files. The system also records user behavior on reactions to suspicious applications and documents by transmitting a set of attribute data in an attribute data file corresponding to suspicious applications or documents to a server. 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: GrantFiled: April 17, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Bret Lowry, Gauvin Repuspolo
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Patent number: 11297095Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 28, 2021Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Greg Kras, Chris Cline
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Patent number: 11297102Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 3, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Knowbe4, Inc.Inventor: Greg Kras
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Patent number: 11297093Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 22, 2021Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Eric Wayne Sites, Ryan Scott Davis, Daniel James DeCola
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Patent number: 11269994Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 5, 2021Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Greg Kras, Adam Alessandrini
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Patent number: 11240261Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 16, 2020Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Bret Lowry, Gauvin Repuspolo, Greg Kras
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Publication number: 20220021704Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for using a model for a predetermined role for simulated phishing campaigns. A campaign controller communicates simulated phishing communications to one or more devices of a user using a model that the campaign controller selects from a plurality of models in a database that have been established for predetermined roles of a company. The model is selected based on one or more attributes of the user that are identified by the campaign controller. The campaign controller identifies one or more attributes of each user of a plurality of users for the simulated phishing campaign, and the campaign controller selects a respective model for each user based on the attributes of each user, wherein the models are not all the same for all of the users.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
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Patent number: 11212311Abstract: Systems and methods are described for using a template for simulated phishing campaigns based on predetermined date from a date associated with a user. The predetermined date may by an event, an anniversary or a milestone associated with employment of the user with a company. The campaign controller may identify a date associated with the user and based on the identification of the date associated with the user, the campaign controller may select one or more templates for one or more simulated phishing campaigns to be triggered by a predetermined date related to the date associated with the user.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2020Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventor: Greg Kras
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Patent number: 11206288Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
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Publication number: 20210344713Abstract: Systems and methods are described for leveraging the knowledge and security awareness of well-informed users in an organization to protect other users and train them to identify new phishing attacks. Initially, a report of a message being suspicious may be identified and it may be determined whether message is a malicious phishing message. In an example, a well-informed user of an organization may report the message as suspicious. Further, on determining the message to be a malicious phishing message, a simulated phishing message or a template may be created. The simulated phishing message may then be communicated to one or more devices of one or more users.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2021Publication date: November 4, 2021Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
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Patent number: 11140199Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for using a model for a predetermined role for simulated phishing campaigns. A campaign controller communicates simulated phishing communications to one or more devices of a user using a model that the campaign controller selects from a plurality of models in a database that have been established for predetermined roles of a company. The model is selected based on one or more attributes of the user that are identified by the campaign controller. The campaign controller identifies one or more attributes of each user of a plurality of users for the simulated phishing campaign, and the campaign controller selects a respective model for each user based on the attributes of each user, wherein the models are not all the same for all of the users.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2020Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
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Patent number: 11122051Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 19, 2020Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
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Patent number: 11108822Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for simulating a phishing attack involving an email thread. An email thread of a plurality of email threads of an entity for use in a simulated phishing attack is identified. A simulation system generates a converted reply simulated phishing email to an email of the email thread. The converted reply simulated phishing email is generated to be from a user that is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread and is communicated to a target user's email account, the converted reply simulated phishing email.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventor: Greg Kras
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Patent number: 11108792Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 14, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Eric Sites, Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Marcio Castilho, Siegfried Martens, Eric Bonabeau, Kristian Kime
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Patent number: 11108791Abstract: System and methods are described which are useful for efficiently combining characteristic detection rules, such as may be done to efficiently and quickly assist in the dispositioning of user reported security threats.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Marcio Castilho, Alin Irimie, Michael Hanley, Daniel Cormier, Raymond Skinner
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Patent number: 11108821Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for creating simulated phishing attack messages that have characteristics which make them appear genuine, while also having characteristics that a user should recognize as being false. Simulated phishing emails may appear to be more realistic to a recipient user if the user observes that the email has also been sent to an individual known to the recipient within the same company. However, it may not be desirable to send the simulated phishing email to such additional recipients. The systems and methods include communicating a simulated phishing email from a server of a simulated phishing attack system to a recipient user of an entity. The simulated phishing email appears to the recipient user as though it is also addressed to one or more non-recipient users of the entity, even though the email is not sent to the non-recipient users.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Jasmine Rodriguez, Daniel Cormier
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Patent number: 11075943Abstract: A system and method is described that sends multiple simulated phishing emails, text messages, and/or phone calls (e.g., via VoIP) varying the quantity, frequency, type, sophistication, and combination using machine learning algorithms or other forms of artificial intelligence. In some implementations, some or all messages (email, text messages, VoIP calls) in a campaign after the first simulated phishing email, text message, or call may be used to direct the user to open the first simulated phishing email or text message, or to open the latest simulated phishing email or text message. In some implementations, simulated phishing emails, text messages, or phone calls of a campaign may be intended to lure the user to perform a different requested action, such as selecting a hyperlink in an email or text message, or returning a voice call.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
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Patent number: 11070587Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing simulated phishing attacks using social engineering indicators. One or more failure indicators can be configured in a phishing email template, and each failure indicator can be assigned a description about that failure indicator through use of a markup tag. The phishing email template containing the markup tags corresponding to the failure indicators can be stored and can be used to generate a simulated phishing email in which the one or more markup tags are removed.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Alin Irimie, Greg Kras, David Austin, Benjamin Dalton
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Patent number: 11048804Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 16, 2020Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.Inventors: Stu Sjouwerman, Eric Sites