Patents by Inventor Greg Kras

Greg Kras 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: 11943253
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Chris Cline
  • 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: 11930028
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret Lowry, Gauvin Repuspolo, Greg Kras
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11876828
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Patent number: 11856025
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: 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: 11799909
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20230308471
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining template difficulty based on user security maturity. In an example, a method includes communicating one or more simulated phishing communications to a plurality of users. Each of the users are assigned a user security maturity level of a plurality of user security maturity levels. The one or more simulated phishing communications are generated using a simulated phishing template. The method includes recording the user security maturity level of a user and a type of user interaction for each of the responses to the one or more simulated phishing communications from the users and determining, a failure rate of the simulated phishing template at each user security maturity level of the plurality of user security maturity levels based on the type of user interaction for each of the responses from one or more users assigned to each user security maturity level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • Publication number: 20230259861
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for security maturity determination. Initially, first value for security knowledge level and second value for security awareness level of a user are determined. Further, third value for security culture level of a group of the user is determined. Thereafter, fourth value of security maturity of user is determined based at least on function of first value, second value, and third value. The user is then grouped into class of users comprising one or more additional users, wherein the fourth value of security maturity of the user falls within a predetermined range of security maturity values associated with class of users, class of users comprising one or more additional users. A phish prone percentage of user is benchmarked with phish phone percentage of one of one or more additional users of class of users. The benchmarking of phish prone percentage of user is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: KNOWBE4, INC.
    Inventors: Greg Kras, Perry Carpenter
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11729206
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for verifying whether simulated phishing communications are allowed to pass by a security system of an email system to email account of users. One or more email accounts of the email system with the security system may be identified to use for a delivery verification campaign. Further, one or more types of simulated phishing communications may be selected from a plurality of types of simulated phishing communications. The delivery verification campaign may be configured to include the selection of the one or more types of simulated phishing communications from the plurality of types of simulated phishing communications. The selected one or more types of simulated phishing communications of the delivery verification campaign may be communicated to the one or more email accounts. Further, whether or not each of the one or more types of simulated phishing communications was allowed by the security system to be received unchanged at the one or more email accounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Patton, Daniel Cormier, Greg Kras
  • 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: 20230237147
    Abstract: System and methods are disclosed for organizations to run a test against an active directory list to see if any user-provided passwords have been part of an existing data breach. Utilizing information from such a test identifies users that have weak passwords, reused passwords or shared passwords that have been associated with an earlier breach. With this information, the organization can seek to reduce risk by training staff for this specific issue in a timely and appropriate manner to significantly reduce the risk of a future breach by those identified users. Training can be customized and targeted at those users who attempt to use passwords that have been associated with a breach (either of their own account or of another account on the same or related domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Kras
  • 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: 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: 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
  • Patent number: 11677767
    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: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KnowBe4, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Sites, Greg Kras, Alin Irimie, Stu Sjouwerman, Marcio Castilho, Siegfried Martens, Eric Bonabeau, Kristian Kime