Abstract: The techniques described herein provide evaluations of a production system's ability to recover from a service disruption without actually disrupting service to the production system. In some examples, a live production system is at least partly duplicated to create a shadow production system that is a quarantined copy of the production system. Traffic between the production system, client devices, and possibly dependency services may be replicated onto the shadow production system while a recovery simulation service induces a specified type of service disruption onto the shadow production system. Behavior of the shadow production system during service disruption is used to identify performance differences and to evaluate expected recovery characteristics of the live production system.

Abstract: A service receives a request from a user of a group of users to perform one or more operations requiring group authentication in order for the operations to be performed. In response, the service provides a first user of the group with an image seed and an ordering of the group of users. Each user of the group applies a transformation algorithm to the seed to create an authentication claim. The service receives this claim and determines, based at least in part on the ordering of the group of users, an ordered set of transformations, which are used to create a reference image file. If the received claim matches the reference image file, the service enables performance of the requested one or more operations.

Abstract: A service receives a request from a user of a group of users to perform one or more operations requiring group authentication in order for the operations to be performed. In response, the service provides a first user of the group with a musical seed and an ordering of the group of users. Each user of the group applies a transformation algorithm to the seed to create an authentication claim. The service receives this claim and determines, based at least in part on the ordering of the group of users, an ordered set of transformations, which are used to create a reference audio signal. If the received claim matches the reference audio signal, the service enables performance of the requested one or more operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for device authentication are provided. In the method and apparatus, authentication data for a first device is received. The first device is then authenticated based at least in part on demonstrated access to authentication data prior to broadcast of the authentication data. One or more actions may be taken in response to the authentication of the first device based at least in part on the demonstrated access to the authentication data.

Abstract: Data of an organization or other entity may be protected using active data objects. The data may be storage in a storage system maintained by the organization or a separate organization. The data storage system may receive request for data, if the request violates one or more constraint conditions, the storage system may provide in response to the received request active data. The active data may include executable code that, when executed by a computer system, causes depletion of one or more resources used by a computer system executing the code.

Abstract: A customer submits a request for assistance to a customer service. Accordingly, the customer service may access a customer database to obtain one or more customer preferences that can be used to select a service representative. If the customer database does not include these preferences, the customer service may utilize one or more customer attributes to calculate these one or more customer preferences. Subsequently, the customer service may access a service representative database and select a service representative based at least in part on the one or more customer preferences. The customer service may transmit the request to the selected service representative to enable the service representative to assist the customer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deterring exfiltration of data from are provided. In the method and apparatus, it is determined that data is to be inflated. A request for access to data is received and data responsive to the request is retrieved. Spurious data is also generated and provided together with the responsive data in response to the request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for device authentication are provided. In the method and apparatus, authentication data for a first device is received. The first device is then authenticated based at least in part on demonstrated access to authentication data prior to broadcast of the authentication data. One or more actions may be taken in response to the authentication of the first device based at least in part on the demonstrated access to the authentication data.

Abstract: A monitoring service receives, from a variety of hardware components of a set of computer systems, binary signals indicative of operation of these components. The monitoring service determines, based at least in part on these signals, a set of beat frequencies for pairings of hardware components of the set of computer systems. The monitoring service uses this set of beat frequencies, as well as information included in a profile for the set of computer systems, to determine whether there is any indication of anomalous behavior in operation of the set of computer systems. If so, the monitoring service generates one or more alerts indicating the anomalous behavior.

Abstract: A customer submits a request for assistance to a customer service. Accordingly, the customer service may access a customer database to obtain one or more customer preferences that can be used to select a service representative. If the customer database does not include these preferences, the customer service may utilize one or more customer attributes to calculate these one or more customer preferences. Subsequently, the customer service may access a service representative database and select a service representative based at least in part on the one or more customer preferences. The customer service may transmit the request to the selected service representative to enable the service representative to assist the customer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deterring exfiltration of data from are provided. In the method and apparatus, it is determined that data is to be inflated. A request for access to data is received and data responsive to the request is retrieved. Spurious data is also generated and provided together with the responsive data in response to the request.

Abstract: A monitoring service receives, from a variety of hardware components of a set of computer systems, binary signals indicative of operation of these components. The monitoring service determines, based at least in part on these signals, a set of beat frequencies for pairings of hardware components of the set of computer systems. The monitoring service uses this set of beat frequencies, as well as information included in a profile for the set of computer systems, to determine whether there is any indication of anomalous behavior in operation of the set of computer systems. If so, the monitoring service generates one or more alerts indicating the anomalous behavior.

Abstract: An accessory device or rechargeable energy pack includes a rechargeable battery or other energy storage that is rechargeable by way of an external source. Energy stored within the accessory device may be used recharge one or more other load devices, such as portable computers, smart phones, or other apparatus. The accessory device may be configured to estimate operating times for such various load devices based on their own respective, stored energy levels, and to communicate those estimates to the load devices or other entities. The accessory device may control an amount of energy delivered to a load device based on estimated energy consumption for a future period of time. Operating times for respective load devices may be increased or managed by way of operations and resources of the accessory device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for device authentication are provided. In the method and apparatus, authentication data for a first device is received. The first device is then authenticated based at least in part on demonstrated access to authentication data prior to broadcast of the authentication data. One or more actions may be taken in response to the authentication of the first device based at least in part on the demonstrated access to the authentication data.

Abstract: A computing device monitors the energy level of a rechargeable battery, from which the device draws operating power. Historic usage data is used to estimate the time remaining in a present operating period, such as a workday, as well as to estimate the battery level required to provide power during that period of time. A user is then presented with information regarding the status of the battery, as well as charging time and required battery level estimates. Information regarding charging stations within publically or otherwise user-accessible venues near to the present location of the computing device is accessed and presented to the user. Reservations may be made for a charging port within a selected venue, an order may be placed for goods or services available at that venue, or other actions may be performed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to multifactor-based authentication systems. Multifactor authentication occurs during a communication session in response to detecting a trigger event, such as an anomalous condition. Historical metrics, such as performance metrics (e.g., rendering speeds), behavioral metrics (e.g., click-stream behavior), environmental metrics (e.g., noise), etc., can be used as a baseline to compare against metrics for a current communication session. An anomalous condition, such as a current session metric exceeding a threshold, can result in an authentication service transmitting a multifactor authentication request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for device authentication are provided. In the method and apparatus, authentication data for a first device is received. The first device is then authenticated based at least in part on demonstrated access to authentication data prior to broadcast of the authentication data. One or more actions may be taken in response to the authentication of the first device based at least in part on the demonstrated access to the authentication data.

Abstract: Techniques for improving computer system security by detecting and responding to attacks on computer systems are described herein. A computer system monitors communications requests from external systems and, as a result of detecting one or more attacks on the computer system, the computer system responds to the attacks by modifying the behavior of the computer system. The behavior of the computer system is modified so that responses to communications requests to ports on the computer system are altered, presenting the attacker with an altered representation of the computer system and thereby delaying or frustrating the attack and the attacker.

Abstract: Techniques are described for employing a crowdsourcing framework to analyze data related to the performance or operations of computing systems, or to analyze other types of data. A question is analyzed to determine data that is relevant to the question. The relevant data may be decontextualized to remove or alter contextual information included in the data, such as sensitive, personal, or business-related data. The question and the decontextualized data may then be presented to workers in a crowdsourcing framework, and the workers may determine an answer to the question based on an analysis or an examination of the decontextualized data. The answers may be combined, correlated, or otherwise processed to determine a processed answer to the question. Machine learning techniques are employed to adjust and refine the decontextualization.

Abstract: Content corresponding to a literary work, movie, audio presentation, or other media is provided to a computing device associated with a user. Immersive content related to the content may be communicated to a computing device and presented to the user at times when the content is not being consumed. The formatting, communicational modes, apparent source, subject matter, or other aspects of the immersive content may correspond to the preferences or other information provided by the user. In this way, user engagement with a story or other media may be stimulated or enhanced when the user is not actively consuming the primary content.