Patents by Inventor Alin Irimie

Alin Irimie 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: 12223455
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and method for performing a vulnerabilities assessment of an organization. A campaign controller executes one or more simulated phishing campaigns directed to a plurality of users of an organization, using a plurality of models determined by the campaign controller based at least on identification of the organization. The campaign controller stores to a database the results of execution of the one or more simulated phishing campaigns and based on the results, the campaign controller determines one or more vulnerabilities to phishing for the organization. In one embodiment, the campaign controller determines a percentage of the plurality of users of the organization that are phish-prone. In some embodiments, the users of the organization that are phish-prone interacted with a link of a simulated phishing communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 12177252
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Patent number: 12149561
    Abstract: Systems and methods of embodiments are described of a campaign controller that establishes a model for using a plurality of types of exploits based on at least results of simulated phishing communications using those exploits, and uses the model to communicate a first simulated phishing communication to one or more devices of a user where the type of exploit used for the first simulated phishing communication is selected using the model. The campaign controller applies either artificial intelligence or machine learning to the results of simulated phishing communications to establish the model. The campaign controller selects the exploit by applying either artificial intelligence or machine learning to one or more attributes of the user and/or one or more responses from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 12143413
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 12081574
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing a simulated phishing attack are provided. A simulated attack server can send a simulated attack email including a unique identifier to a target. The simulated attack server can receive a reply email including the unique identifier from the target. The simulated attack server can extract the unique identifier from the reply email. The simulated attack server can determine a match between the unique identifier and an identity of the target. The simulated attack server can record a target failure, responsive to determining the match between the unique identifier and the identity of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Brian Jack
  • Patent number: 12047383
    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: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Publication number: 20240236128
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing a simulated phishing attack are provided. A simulated attack server can send a simulated attack email including a unique identifier to a target. The simulated attack server can receive a reply email including the unique identifier from the target. The simulated attack server can extract the unique identifier from the reply email. The simulated attack server can determine a match between the unique identifier and an identity of the target. The simulated attack server can record a target failure, responsive to determining the match between the unique identifier and the identity of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Brian Jack
  • Patent number: 11936688
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Greg Kras, David Austin, Benjamin Dalton
  • Patent number: 11902302
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcio Castilho, Alin Irimie, Michael Hanley, Daniel Cormier, Raymond Skinner
  • Patent number: 11902324
    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: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Stu Sjouwerman, Alin Irimie, Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20230388343
    Abstract: Systems and methods of embodiments are described of a campaign controller that establishes a model for using a plurality of types of exploits based on at least results of simulated phishing communications using those exploits, and uses the model to communicate a first simulated phishing communication to one or more devices of a user where the type of exploit used for the first simulated phishing communication is selected using the model. The campaign controller applies either artificial intelligence or machine learning to the results of simulated phishing communications to establish the model. The campaign controller selects the exploit by applying either artificial intelligence or machine learning to one or more attributes of the user and/or one or more responses from the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 11792225
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure describe systems and methods for selecting a first group of users, which is selected to receive simulated phishing emails as part of a simulated phishing campaign, and adding users to a second group of users based upon those selected users interacting with a simulated phishing email that is part of a simulated phishing campaign; tracking the completion of remediation training related to phishing emails by users in the second group of users and receiving one or more indications that the users in the second group of users have completed remedial training; and automatically adding users, who are members of the second user group, to the first user group, to a third user group, or to a predetermined user group responsive to the one or more indications that the users in the second group of users have completed remedial training.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Patent number: 11777977
    Abstract: A method for establishing a campaign for a simulated phishing attack includes receiving, via a campaign manager, specification of a plurality of parameters for a campaign including at least an identifier of a campaign and identification of users to which to send the campaign, establishing, via the campaign manager, a type of exploit for the campaign and one or more types of data to collect via the type of exploit, storing, by the campaign manager, the campaign comprising the plurality of parameters, and identifying, by a simulation server, the campaign stored in the database to create a simulated phishing email, to be sent to email accounts of the users, using the plurality of parameters of the campaign, wherein the simulated phishing email is to be created to have a link to a landing page comprising the type of exploit and configured to collect the one or more types of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Wendy Bartlett, David Austin
  • Patent number: 11777986
    Abstract: Systems and methods of embodiments are described of a campaign controller that establishes a model for using a plurality of types of exploits based on at least results of simulated phishing communications using those exploits, and uses the model to communicate a first simulated phishing communication to one or more devices of a user where the type of exploit used for the first simulated phishing communication is selected using the model. The campaign controller applies either artificial intelligence or machine learning to the results of simulated phishing communications to establish the model. The campaign controller selects the exploit by applying either artificial intelligence or machine learning to one or more attributes of the user and/or one or more responses from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Patent number: 11729203
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that are useful for minimizing organization risk in the case of a cybersecurity attack, through computer-based simulation of cybersecurity attacks, incident response tracking and incident response training provided responsive to the simulation outcome. A server is configured to execute a simulated cybersecurity attack on a plurality of users and their computer systems on a company network associated with a company, tracking responses such as interactions with at least one of the computer systems or network components to the simulated cybersecurity attack and validating whether one or more responses of a predetermined set of responses have occurred to minimize the impact of the simulated security attack on the entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Publication number: 20230247052
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie
  • Publication number: 20230222411
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for implementing a security awareness program are provided which allow a device of a security awareness system to receive attributes of an implementation of a security awareness program from an entity, such as a company. Responsive to the attributes, the device determines a configuration for each of a baseline simulated phishing campaign, electronic based training of users of the entity for security awareness and one or more subsequent simulated phishing campaigns. The device initiates execution of the baseline simulated phishing campaign to identify a percentage of users of the entity that are phish-prone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: KNOWBE4, INC.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Perry Carpenter, Suzanne Gorman
  • Publication number: 20230224320
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for using a template for a simulated phishing campaign, A database includes a plurality of templates for simulated phishing campaigns, each template of the plurality of templates identifying a list of a plurality of types of simulated phishing communications and at least a portion of content for the simulated phishing communications. A campaign controller selects a template from the plurality of templates for a simulated phishing campaign directed to a user of a plurality of users; and communicates, to one or more devices of the user a first type of simulated phishing communication of the plurality of types of simulated phishing communications with at least the portion of content identified by the template.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Greg Kras, Eric Sites
  • Publication number: 20230224328
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Greg Kras, David Austin, Benjamin Dalton
  • Publication number: 20230206184
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for facilitating assessment of security awareness of a candidate prior to a decision on whether or not to hire the candidate. Security awareness of the candidate in association with an application for a job may be assessed using responses to one or more simulated phishing communications provided by the candidate. Responses to the one or more simulated phishing communications may be used to determine a risk score for the candidate. Further, the risk score for the candidate may be used to make a decision on whether or not to hire the candidate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Alin Irimie, Drew Graef, Nicole McBride, Isida Drake, Daniel Lorch