Source verification device

• US 10,601,855 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beller, Charles E., Boss, Gregory J., Molloy, Christopher L., Pierson, Bernadette A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Linglan E
• Application Number:
  US15/610,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/66 Trust-dependent, e.g. using trust scores or trust relationships

Abstract

Systems and methods for source verification are disclosed. A method includes: receiving, by a computing device, a report from a first source; determining, by the computing device, the first source is listed in a source repository based on receiving the report; selecting, by the computing device, a second source at a location remote from the first source based on the source being listed in the source repository; confirming, by the computing device, the report from the first source based on information received from the second source; repeating, by the computing device, the selecting and the confirming until a value of information in the report from the second source exceeds an information trust level value for the report.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a report from a first source;

determining, by the computing device, the first source is listed in a source repository based on receiving the report, the source repository being an untrusted source repository;

selecting, by the computing device, a second source at a location remote from the first source based on the first source being listed in the source repository, the selecting the second source being based on proximity of the second source to the first source;

confirming, by the computing device, the report from the first source based on information received from the second source;

repeating, by the computing device, the selecting and the confirming until a value of information in the report from the second source exceeds an information trust level value for the report, the information trust level value for the report being based on a type of report and profile information for the type of report;

determining the location of the first source based on the first source being listed in the untrusted source repository; and

selecting an area around the first source and selecting the second source from a plurality of second sources within the area around the first source, the selected second source being one of the plurality of second sources that is farthest away from the first source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first source is an unknown source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirming the report is based on automatic verification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the confirming the report is based on formal verification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the value of information in the report from the second source is based on the type of report, a location of the report, profile information for the type of report, size of an emergency in the report, and number of people affected by the emergency in the report.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising dispatching emergency in response to the value to information in the report from the second source exceeding the information trust level value.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer device to cause the computer device to:

receive a report from a first user device of a first source and determine the first source is listed in a source repository based on receiving the report, the source repository being an untrusted source repository;

assign an information trust level value to the report from the first source based on receiving the report, the information trust level value for the report being based on a type of report and profile information for the type of report;

select a second user device of a second source at a location remote from the user device of the first source based on assigning the information trust level value to the report from the first source, the selecting the second user device of the second source being based on proximity of the second source to the first source;

assign an information value to information from the second source based on receiving information from the second source;

confirm the report with the second user device of the second source based on determining the information value exceeds the information trust level value;

determine the location of the first source based on the first source being listed in the untrusted source repository; and

select an area around the first source and select the second source from a plurality of second sources within the area around the first source, the selected second source being one of the plurality of second sources that is farthest away from the first source.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the information value is based on the type of report, a location of the report, profile information for the type of report, size of an emergency in the report, and number of people affected by the emergency in the report.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting a third source based on determining the information value does not exceed the information trust level value;

assigning a second information value to information from the third source based on receiving information from the third source;

confirming the report with the third source based on an aggregate value of the information value and the second information value exceeds the information trust level value.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the second information value is based on the type of report, a location of the report, profile information for the type of report, size of an emergency in the report, and number of people affected by the emergency in the report.

11. A system comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device;

program instructions to receive a report from an unknown source at a location and determine the unknown source is listed in a source repository based on receiving the report, the source repository being an untrusted source repository;

program instructions to determine other unknown sources near the location;

program instructions to select a second unknown source from the other unknown sources, the selecting the second unknown source being based on proximity of the second unknown source to the first unknown source;

program instructions to determine whether information from the second unknown source exceeds an information trust level value, the information trust level value being based on a type of the report and profile information for the type of the report;

program instructions to repeat the selecting until information from a number of unknown sources exceeds the information trust level value;

program instructions to determine the location of the unknown source based on the unknown source being listed in the untrusted source repository; and

program instructions to select an area around the unknown source and select the second unknown source from the other unknown sources within the area around the unknown source, the selected second source being one of the other unknown sources that is farthest away from the unknown source,

wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information trust level value is further based on a location of the report, size of an emergency in the report, and number of people affected by the emergency in the report.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising checking a social connection of the unknown source and the second unknown source.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising selecting a third unknown source based on the social connection of the unknown source and the second unknown source.