Patents by Inventor Taylor Ettema

Taylor Ettema 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).

  • Publication number: 20230208809
    Abstract: Techniques for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process ID information identifies a process that is associated with an outbound or inbound network session on the EP device on the enterprise network, and the EP agent selected the network session for punting to the network device for inspection; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Ho Yu Lam, Robert Earle Ashley, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 11616761
    Abstract: Techniques for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process ID information identifies a process that is associated with an outbound or inbound network session on the EP device on the enterprise network, and the EP agent selected the network session for punting to the network device for inspection; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Ho Yu Lam, Robert Earle Ashley, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 11128656
    Abstract: Techniques for selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning are provided. In some embodiments, selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning includes intercepting a DNS query for a network domain from a local DNS server at the security device, in which the network domain was determined to be a bad network domain and the bad network domain was determined to be associated with malware (e.g., a malware domain); and generating a DNS query response to the DNS query to send to the local DNS server, in which the DNS query response includes a designated sinkholed IP address for the bad network domain to facilitate identification of an infected host by the security device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Huagang Xie, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 10992704
    Abstract: Techniques for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network includes a virtual machine (VM) instance manager that manages a plurality of virtual clones executed in an instrumented VM environment, in which the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment correspond to the honey network that emulates a plurality of devices in an enterprise network; and an intelligent malware detonator that detonates a malware sample in at least one of the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Publication number: 20210119969
    Abstract: Techniques for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process ID information identifies a process that is associated with an outbound or inbound network session on the EP device on the enterprise network, and the EP agent selected the network session for punting to the network device for inspection; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Ho Yu Lam, Robert Earle Ashley, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 10931637
    Abstract: Techniques for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process ID information identifies a process that is associated with an outbound or inbound network session on the EP device on the enterprise network, and the EP agent selected the network session for punting to the network device for inspection; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Ho Yu Lam, Robert Earle Ashley, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 10855656
    Abstract: Techniques for fine-grained firewall policy enforcement using session APP ID and endpoint process ID correlation are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for fine-grained firewall policy enforcement using session APP ID and endpoint process ID correlation includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process identification information identifies a process that is initiating a network session from the EP device on the enterprise network; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Robert Tesh, Xuanyu Jin, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Publication number: 20200099700
    Abstract: Techniques for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network includes a virtual machine (VM) instance manager that manages a plurality of virtual clones executed in an instrumented VM environment, in which the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment correspond to the honey network that emulates a plurality of devices in an enterprise network; and an intelligent malware detonator that detonates a malware sample in at least one of the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Patent number: 10530810
    Abstract: Techniques for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for dynamic selection and generation of detonation location of suspicious content with a honey network includes a virtual machine (VM) instance manager that manages a plurality of virtual clones executed in an instrumented VM environment, in which the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment correspond to the honey network that emulates a plurality of devices in an enterprise network; and an intelligent malware detonator that detonates a malware sample in at least one of the plurality of virtual clones executed in the instrumented VM environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Patent number: 10425387
    Abstract: Techniques for credentials enforcement using a firewall are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for enforcement using a firewall includes storing a plurality of user credentials at a network device; monitoring network traffic at the network device to determine if there is a match with one or more of the plurality of user credentials; and performing an action if the match is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Xuanyu Jin, Suiqiang Deng, Taylor Ettema, Robert Tesh
  • Patent number: 10404661
    Abstract: Techniques for integrating a honey network with a target network environment (e.g., an enterprise network) to counter IP and peer-checking evasion techniques are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for integrating a honey network with a target network environment includes a device profile data store that includes a plurality of attributes of each of a plurality of devices in the target network environment; a virtual clone manager executed on a processor that instantiates a virtual clone of one or more devices in the target network environment based on one or more attributes for a target device in the device profile data store; and a honey network policy that is configured to route an external network communication from the virtual clone for the target device in the honey network to an external device through the target network environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Publication number: 20190190948
    Abstract: Techniques for selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning are provided. In some embodiments, selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning includes intercepting a DNS query for a network domain from a local DNS server at the security device, in which the network domain was determined to be a bad network domain and the bad network domain was determined to be associated with malware (e.g., a malware domain); and generating a DNS query response to the DNS query to send to the local DNS server, in which the DNS query response includes a designated sinkholed IP address for the bad network domain to facilitate identification of an infected host by the security device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Huagang Xie, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 10298610
    Abstract: Techniques for an efficient and secure store for credentials enforcement using a firewall are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for an efficient and secure store for credentials enforcement using a firewall includes receiving a space-efficient and secure data structure, such as bloom filter, from an agent executed on an authentication server, in which the bloom filter is generated by the agent based on a transformation of a plurality of user credentials extracted from the authentication server and/or intercepted at the authentication server; storing the bloom filter on the network device (e.g., in a cache on the network device); and monitoring network traffic at the network device to perform credentials enforcement using the bloom filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Xuanyu Jin, Suiqiang Deng, Taylor Ettema, Robert Tesh
  • Patent number: 10257221
    Abstract: Techniques for selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning are provided. In some embodiments, selective sinkholing of malware domains by a security device via DNS poisoning includes intercepting a DNS query for a network domain from a local DNS server at the security device, in which the network domain was determined to be a bad network domain and the bad network domain was determined to be associated with malware (e.g., a malware domain); and generating a DNS query response to the DNS query to send to the local DNS server, in which the DNS query response includes a designated sinkholed IP address for the bad network domain to facilitate identification of an infected host by the security device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Huagang Xie, Taylor Ettema
  • Publication number: 20190089677
    Abstract: Techniques for fine-grained firewall policy enforcement using session APP ID and endpoint process ID correlation are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for fine-grained firewall policy enforcement using session APP ID and endpoint process ID correlation includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process identification information identifies a process that is initiating a network session from the EP device on the enterprise network; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Robert Tesh, Xuanyu Jin, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Publication number: 20190089678
    Abstract: Techniques for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for outbound/inbound lateral traffic punting based upon process risk includes receiving, at a network device on an enterprise network, process identification (ID) information from an endpoint (EP) agent executed on an EP device, in which the process ID information identifies a process that is associated with an outbound or inbound network session on the EP device on the enterprise network, and the EP agent selected the network session for punting to the network device for inspection; monitoring network communications associated with the network session at the network device to identify an application identification (APP ID) for the network session; and performing an action based on a security policy using the process ID information and the APP ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Ho Yu Lam, Robert Earle Ashley, Paul Theodore Mathison, Qiuming Li, Taylor Ettema
  • Patent number: 10230689
    Abstract: Techniques for bridging a honey network to a suspicious device in a network (e.g., an enterprise network) are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for bridging a honey network to a suspicious device in an enterprise network includes a device profile data store that includes a plurality of attributes of each of a plurality of devices in the target network environment; a virtual clone manager executed on a processor that instantiates a virtual clone of one or more devices in the target network environment based on one or more attributes for a target device in the device profile data store; and a honey network policy that is configured to route an internal network communication from a suspicious device in the target network environment to the virtual clone for the target device in the honey network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Publication number: 20180332005
    Abstract: Techniques for integrating a honey network with a target network environment (e.g., an enterprise network) to counter IP and peer-checking evasion techniques are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for integrating a honey network with a target network environment includes a device profile data store that includes a plurality of attributes of each of a plurality of devices in the target network environment; a virtual clone manager executed on a processor that instantiates a virtual clone of one or more devices in the target network environment based on one or more attributes for a target device in the device profile data store; and a honey network policy that is configured to route an external network communication from the virtual clone for the target device in the honey network to an external device through the target network environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Taylor Ettema, Huagang Xie
  • Publication number: 20180332079
    Abstract: Techniques for an efficient and secure store for credentials enforcement using a firewall are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for an efficient and secure store for credentials enforcement using a firewall includes receiving a space-efficient and secure data structure, such as bloom filter, from an agent executed on an authentication server, in which the bloom filter is generated by the agent based on a transformation of a plurality of user credentials extracted from the authentication server and/or intercepted at the authentication server; storing the bloom filter on the network device (e.g., in a cache on the network device); and monitoring network traffic at the network device to perform credentials enforcement using the bloom filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Xuanyu Jin, Suiqiang Deng, Taylor Ettema, Robert Tesh
  • Publication number: 20180309721
    Abstract: Techniques for credentials enforcement using a firewall are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for enforcement using a firewall includes storing a plurality of user credentials at a network device; monitoring network traffic at the network device to determine if there is a match with one or more of the plurality of user credentials; and performing an action if the match is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Earle Ashley, Ho Yu Lam, Xuanyu Jin, Suiqiang Deng, Taylor Ettema, Robert Tesh