Patents by Inventor John Clifton Pierce

John Clifton Pierce 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: 11627149
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for security monitoring of a network connection, including analyzing network traffic data for a network connection associated with a computing device, identifying one or more network traffic metrics for the network connection based on the network traffic data, determining that the network connection corresponds to at least one network connection profile based on the one or more network traffic metrics, detecting a potential security threat for the network connection based on the one or more network traffic metrics and the at least one network connection profile, and initiating a mitigation action with respect to the network connection in response to detecting the potential security threat. Advantageously, the techniques allow detecting potential security threats based on network traffic metrics and categorizations, without requiring monitoring of the content or the total volume of all traffic exchanged via the connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SPLUNK INC.
    Inventor: John Clifton Pierce
  • Patent number: 11463464
    Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing data regarding activity in an IT environment to determine information regarding the entities associated with the activity and using the information to detect anomalous activity that may be indicative of malicious activity. In an embodiment, a plurality of events reflecting activity by a plurality of entities in an IT environment are processed to resolve the identities of the entities, discover how the entities fit within a topology of the IT environment, and determine what the entities are. This information is then used to generate an entity relationship graph that includes nodes representing the entities in the IT environment and edges connecting the nodes representing interaction relationships between the entities. In some embodiments, baselines are established by monitoring the activity between entities. This baseline information can be represented in the entity relationship graph in the form of directionality applied to the edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SPLUNK INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Auguste Zadeh, Rodolfo Soto, George Apostolopoulos, John Clifton Pierce
  • Publication number: 20200366691
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for security monitoring of a network connection, including analyzing network traffic data for a network connection associated with a computing device, identifying one or more network traffic metrics for the network connection based on the network traffic data, determining that the network connection corresponds to at least one network connection profile based on the one or more network traffic metrics, detecting a potential security threat for the network connection based on the one or more network traffic metrics and the at least one network connection profile, and initiating a mitigation action with respect to the network connection in response to detecting the potential security threat. Advantageously, the techniques allow detecting potential security threats based on network traffic metrics and categorizations, without requiring monitoring of the content or the total volume of all traffic exchanged via the connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: John Clifton Pierce
  • Publication number: 20200287927
    Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing data regarding activity in an IT environment to determine information regarding the entities associated with the activity and using the information to detect anomalous activity that may be indicative of malicious activity. In an embodiment, a plurality of events reflecting activity by a plurality of entities in an IT environment are processed to resolve the identities of the entities, discover how the entities fit within a topology of the IT environment, and determine what the entities are. This information is then used to generate an entity relationship graph that includes nodes representing the entities in the IT environment and edges connecting the nodes representing interaction relationships between the entities. In some embodiments, baselines are established by monitoring the activity between entities. This baseline information can be represented in the entity relationship graph in the form of directionality applied to the edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Auguste Zadeh, Rodolfo Soto, George Apostolopoulos, John Clifton Pierce
  • Patent number: 10693900
    Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing data regarding activity in an IT environment to determine information regarding the entities associated with the activity and using the information to detect anomalous activity that may be indicative of malicious activity. In an embodiment, a plurality of events reflecting activity by a plurality of entities in an IT environment are processed to resolve the identities of the entities, discover how the entities fit within a topology of the IT environment, and determine what the entities are. This information is then used to generate an entity relationship graph that includes nodes representing the entities in the IT environment and edges connecting the nodes representing interaction relationships between the entities. In some embodiments, baselines are established by monitoring the activity between entities. This baseline information can be represented in the entity relationship graph in the form of directionality applied to the edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SPLUNK INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Auguste Zadeh, Rodolfo Soto, George Apostolopoulos, John Clifton Pierce
  • Patent number: 10673870
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for security monitoring of a network connection, including analyzing network traffic data for a network connection associated with a computing device, identifying one or more network traffic metrics for the network connection based on the network traffic data, determining that the network connection corresponds to at least one network connection profile based on the one or more network traffic metrics, detecting a potential security threat for the network connection based on the one or more network traffic metrics and the at least one network connection profile, and initiating a mitigation action with respect to the network connection in response to detecting the potential security threat. Advantageously, the techniques allow detecting potential security threats based on network traffic metrics and categorizations, without requiring monitoring of the content or the total volume of all traffic exchanged via the connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SPLUNK INC.
    Inventor: John Clifton Pierce
  • Publication number: 20190158524
    Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing data regarding activity in an IT environment to determine information regarding the entities associated with the activity and using the information to detect anomalous activity that may be indicative of malicious activity. In an embodiment, a plurality of events reflecting activity by a plurality of entities in an IT environment are processed to resolve the identities of the entities, discover how the entities fit within a topology of the IT environment, and determine what the entities are. This information is then used to generate an entity relationship graph that includes nodes representing the entities in the IT environment and edges connecting the nodes representing interaction relationships between the entities. In some embodiments, baselines are established by monitoring the activity between entities. This baseline information can be represented in the entity relationship graph in the form of directionality applied to the edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph Auguste Zadeh, Rodolfo Soto, George Apostolopoulos, John Clifton Pierce
  • Patent number: 10237294
    Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing data regarding activity in an IT environment to determine information regarding the entities associated with the activity and using the information to detect anomalous activity that may be indicative of malicious activity. In an embodiment, a plurality of events reflecting activity by a plurality of entities in an IT environment are processed to resolve the identities of the entities, discover how the entities fit within a topology of the IT environment, and determine what the entities are. This information is then used to generate a entity relationship graph that includes nodes representing the entities in the IT environment and edges connecting the nodes representing interaction relationships between the entities. In some embodiments, baselines are established by monitoring the activity between entities. This baseline information can be represented in the entity relationship graph in the form of directionality applied to the edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SPLUNK INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Auguste Zadeh, Rodolfo Soto, George Apostolopoulos, John Clifton Pierce
  • Publication number: 20180219879
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for security monitoring of a network connection, including analyzing network traffic data for a network connection associated with a computing device, identifying one or more network traffic metrics for the network connection based on the network traffic data, determining that the network connection corresponds to at least one network connection profile based on the one or more network traffic metrics, detecting a potential security threat for the network connection based on the one or more network traffic metrics and the at least one network connection profile, and initiating a mitigation action with respect to the network connection in response to detecting the potential security threat. Advantageously, the techniques allow detecting potential security threats based on network traffic metrics and categorizations, without requiring monitoring of the content or the total volume of all traffic exchanged via the connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventor: John Clifton Pierce
  • Patent number: 9961096
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting behavior-based anomalies are described herein. In various embodiments, the system includes a context engine for creating behavioral vectors that are transmitted to a long term data store, to behavioral engines configured to create baselines based on historical data, and to sensors configured to observe system resources. According to particular embodiments, the system is configured to collect data regarding the system resources (e.g., via the sensors) and compare the collected data to baselines to determine whether anomalies have occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: John Clifton Pierce