Patents by Inventor Angelos Stavrou

Angelos Stavrou 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: 8935773
    Abstract: A transparent proxy for malware detection includes a monitor module, a protocol determination module, a challenge generation module, a response determination module, and a data control module. The monitor module examines data originating from an application towards a remote server. The protocol determination module identifies the protocol type used for the data. The challenge generation module produces a challenge for the application based upon the protocol type, sends the challenge to the application, and maintains a state related to the data and the challenge. The response determination module makes a determination if an automatic non-interactive application response is received in response to the challenge from the application. The data control module allows the first data to continue to the remote server when the determination is valid. The data control module reports malware detection and blocks the data to continue to the remote server when the determination is invalid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: George Mason Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Sushil Jajodia, Anup Ghosh, Rhandi Martin, Charalampos Andrianakis
  • Patent number: 8924782
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for recovering an application from a fault or an attack are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method is provided for enabling a software application to recover from a fault condition. The method includes specifying constrained data items and assigning a set of repair procedures to the constrained data items. The method further includes detecting a fault condition on the constrained data items during execution of the software application, which triggers at least one repair procedure. The triggered repair procedures are executed and the execution of the software application is restored. In some embodiments, the restoring comprises providing memory rollback to a point of execution of the software application before the fault condition was detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Michael E. Locasto, Angelos D. Keromytis, Angelos Stavrou, Gabriela F. Ciocarlie
  • Patent number: 8819225
    Abstract: A hardware-assisted integrity monitor may include one or more target machines and/or monitor machines. A target machine may include one or more processors, which may include one or more system management modes (SMM). A SMM may include one or more register checking modules, which may be configured to determine one or more current CPU register states. A SMM may include one or more acquiring modules, which may be configured to determine one or more current memory states. A SMM may include one or more network modules, which may be configured to direct one or more communications, for example of one or more current CPU register states and/or current memory states, to a monitor machine. A monitor machine may include one or more network modules and/or analysis modules. An analysis module may be configured to determine memory state differences and/or determine CPU register states differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: George Mason Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiang Wang, Angelos Stavrou, Anup Ghosh, Kun Sun
  • Patent number: 8726005
    Abstract: A website fingerprint is generated that characterizes network traffic associated with a website as a website traffic fingerprint that includes size description(s), order description(s), and timing description(s) of packet traffic for the website. A website monitor generates website trace(s) of packet statistics. A correlation processor correlates a sequence of packet statistics from the website trace(s) with the size description, the order description, and timing description found in the website traffic fingerprint(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Mohammed A. Alhussein, Brian Sanders
  • Publication number: 20140101746
    Abstract: Systems and methods for inhibiting attacks with a network are provided. In some embodiments, methods for inhibiting attacks by forwarding packets through a plurality of intermediate nodes when being transmitted from a source node to a destination node are provided, the methods comprising: receiving a packet at one of the plurality of intermediate nodes; determining at the selected intermediate node whether the packet has been sent to the correct one of the plurality of intermediate nodes based on a pseudo random function; and forwarding the packet to the destination node, based on the determining. In some embodiments an intermediate node is selected based on a pseudo random function. In some embodiments, systems and methods for establishing access to a multi-path network are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Angelos D. Keromytis
  • Patent number: 8631484
    Abstract: Systems and methods for inhibiting attacks with a network are provided. In some embodiments, methods for inhibiting attacks by forwarding packets through a plurality of intermediate nodes when being transmitted from a source node to a destination node are provided, the methods comprising: receiving a packet at one of the plurality of intermediate nodes; determining at the selected intermediate node whether the packet has been sent to the correct one of the plurality of intermediate nodes based on a pseudo random function; and forwarding the packet to the destination node, based on the determining. In some embodiments an intermediate node is selected based on a pseudo random function. In some embodiments, systems and methods for establishing access to a multi-path network are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Angelos D. Keromytis
  • Publication number: 20130318547
    Abstract: A system or method for inferring and selective display of visual and sound media content based on a pet(s)'s level of engagement or reactions to content displayed on any number of content display devices including, but not limited to, television screens, computer monitors, tablets, and cell phones and measured by a sensor. A content selection algorithm takes as input the sensor measurements and historical or pre-computed data to infer the pet(s)'s preference for content. A content modification algorithm interposes algorithmically computed shapes and sounds overlaid on top of the existing content to attract the attention of the pet(s) observing the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Fur Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelos STAVROU, Margaret Lee Perry-Flippin
  • Patent number: 8549646
    Abstract: Methods, media and systems for responding to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes detecting a DoS attack, migrating one or more processes that provide a service to an unaffected system; authenticating users that are authorized to use the service; and routing traffic generated by authenticated users to the unaffected system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Angelos D. Keromytis, Jason Nieh, Vishal Misra, Daniel Rubenstein
  • Patent number: 8407160
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for generating sanitized data, sanitizing anomaly detection models, and generating anomaly detection models are provided. In some embodiments, methods for generating sanitized data are provided. The methods including: dividing a first training dataset comprised of a plurality of training data items into a plurality of data subsets each including at least one training data item of the plurality of training data items of the first training dataset; based on the plurality of data subsets, generating a plurality of distinct anomaly detection micro-models; testing at least one data item of the plurality of data items of a second training dataset of training data items against each of the plurality of micro-models to produce a score for the at least one tested data item; and generating at least one output dataset based on the score for the at least one tested data item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Gabriela Cretu, Angelos Stavrou, Salvatore J. Stolfo, Angelos D. Keromytis, Michael E. Locasto
  • Publication number: 20120297457
    Abstract: An interactive detector that includes a challenger and authorizer. The challenger may send a challenge to a source application in response to an intercepted request intended for a destination application from the source application. The challenge may be configured to invoke an expected challenge response from component(s) of the source application. The authorizer may allow the request to proceed to the destination application if a received challenge response generated by the source application satisfies the expected challenge response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Brian Schulte, Angelos Stavrou, Anup K. Ghosh, Rhandi Martin, Charalampos Andrianakis
  • Publication number: 20120297177
    Abstract: An interoperable firmware memory containing a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) and a trusted platform module (TPSM). The BIOS includes CPU System Management Mode (SMM) firmware configured as read-only at boot. The SMM firmware configured to control switching subsequent to boot between at least: a first memory and second isolated memory; and a first and second isolated non-volatile storage device. The first memory including a first operating system and the second memory including a second operating system. The first non-volatile storage device configured to be used by the first operating system and the second non-volatile storage device configured to be used by the second operating system. The trusted platform module (TPSM) configured to check the integrity of the CPU system Management Mode (SMM) during the boot process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Anup K. Ghosh, Kun Sun, Jiang Wang, Angelos Stavrou
  • Publication number: 20120297057
    Abstract: A hardware-assisted integrity monitor may include one or more target machines and/or monitor machines. A target machine may include one or more processors, which may include one or more system management modes (SMM). A SMM may include one or more register checking modules, which may be configured to determine one or more current CPU register states. A SMM may include one or more acquiring modules, which may be configured to determine one or more current memory states. A SMM may include one or more network modules, which may be configured to direct one or more communications, for example of one or more current CPU register states and/or current memory states, to a monitor machine. A monitor machine may include one or more network modules and/or analysis modules. An analysis module may be configured to determine memory state differences and/or determine CPU register states differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Anup K. Ghosh, Kun Sun, Jiang Wang, Angelos Stavrou
  • Patent number: 8228815
    Abstract: Systems and methods for computing data transmission characteristics of a network path are disclosed. In some embodiments, the network path has a sending host, at least one intermediate host, and a receiving host, and the data transmission characteristics are computed based on single-ended measurements performed at the sending host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Angelos D. Keromytis, Sambuddho Chakravarty, Angelos Stavrou
  • Publication number: 20110314269
    Abstract: A website fingerprint is generated that characterizes network traffic associated with a website as a website traffic fingerprint that includes size description(s), order description(s), and timing description(s) of packet traffic for the website. A website monitor generates website trace(s) of packet statistics. A correlation processor correlates a sequence of packet statistics from the website trace(s) with the size description, the order description, and timing description found in the website traffic fingerprint(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Mohammed A. Alhussein, Brian Sanders
  • Publication number: 20110164506
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a system or method for inferring packet management rules of a packet management device. A probing device is used to extract at least one of port number and IP address from a packet management configuration file. The probing device classifies extracted numbers and selectively transmits packets to a packet management device. A packet analyzer notifies the probing device when a packet passes through the packet management device. Based on the notification, the probing device is able to transmit packets to the packet management device in a non-exhaustive manner and determine a port range corresponding to a packet management rule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Sushil Jajodia, Charalampos Andrianakis
  • Patent number: 7962798
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for enabling a software application to recover from a fault condition, and for protecting a software application from a fault condition, are provided. In some embodiments, methods include detecting a fault condition during execution of the software application, restoring execution of the software application to a previous point of execution, the previous point of execution occurring during execution of a first subroutine in the software application, and forcing the first subroutine to forego further execution and return to a caller of the first subroutine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Michael E. Locasto, Angelos D. Keromytis, Salvatore J. Stolfo, Angelos Stavrou, Gabriela Cretu, Stylianos Sidiroglou, Jason Nieh, Oren Laadan
  • Publication number: 20110099620
    Abstract: A transparent proxy for malware detection includes a monitor module, a protocol determination module, a challenge generation module, a response determination module, and a data control module. The monitor module examines data originating from an application towards a remote server. The protocol determination module identifies the protocol type used for the data. The challenge generation module produces a challenge for the application based upon the protocol type, sends the challenge to the application, and maintains a state related to the data and the challenge. The response determination module makes a determination if an automatic non-interactive application response is received in response to the challenge from the application. The data control module allows the first data to continue to the remote server when the determination is valid. The data control module reports malware detection and blocks the data to continue to the remote server when the determination is invalid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Sushil Jajodia, Anup Ghosh, Rhandi Martin, Charalampos Andrianakis
  • Publication number: 20100293407
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for recovering an application from a fault or an attack are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method is provided for enabling a software application to recover from a fault condition. The method includes specifying constrained data items and assigning a set of repair procedures to the constrained data items. The method further includes detecting a fault condition on the constrained data items during execution of the software application, which triggers at least one repair procedure. The triggered repair procedures are executed and the execution of the software application is restored. In some embodiments, the restoring comprises providing memory rollback to a point of execution of the software application before the fault condition was detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF
    Inventors: Michael E. Locasto, Angelos D. Keromytis, Angelos Stavrou, Gabriela F. Ciocarlie
  • Publication number: 20100186074
    Abstract: An authenticator may include graphical passwords. An authenticator may include a password image, which may include one or more clickable areas, and/or a key image, which may include click point data. An authenticator may include a mobile computing resource, a terminal computing resource and/or a challenger, which may be configured to communicate with each other. A mobile computing resource may be configured to receive and/or display a key image, such that click point data may be presented, determined, and/or input to a password image. A challenger may be configured to compare input click point data and a key image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Angelos Stavrou, Alireza P. Sabzevar
  • Publication number: 20100157834
    Abstract: Systems and methods for computing data transmission characteristics of a network path are disclosed. In some embodiments, the network path has a sending host, at least one intermediate host, and a receiving host, and the data transmission characteristics are computed based on single-ended measurements performed at the sending host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Angelos D. Keromytis, Sambuddho Chakravarty, Angelos Stavrou