Systems and methods of identity protection and management

• US 10,642,999 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Burger, Michael, Kapczynski, Mark Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Giddins, Nelson S.
• Application Number:
  US16/112,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20180365445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

In an embodiment, a computing system, such as a monitoring computer, receives a request from a user to monitor an account of the user with an online service provider. The request may include personal information and user preferences for one or more protective actions. The system periodically monitors external data sources for indications of changes to personal information associated with the account, and detects changes or attempted changes to personal information associated with the account. The system may determine risk levels associated with detected changes or attempted changes, and transmit a notification to the user via a communication channel selected based on the determined risk level and/or the user preferences. The system may also initiate protective actions, so that further unauthorized access to the account may be prevented.

Claims

1. A method of efficiently protecting against electronic threats, the method being performed by a system of one or more computer processors, the method comprising:

receiving a request, by the system, from a user to monitor personal information stored by different online server providers;

periodically accessing information indicative of the personal information stored by the online service providers, and indicating whether changes or attempted changes were made to the personal information;

triggering, by the system and based on the periodic access, an event for processing, the event identifying a detected change or attempted change, and the event causing determination of one or more of a risk level associated with the detected change or protective actions to be applied to at least one user account; and

notifying, by the system, the user regarding the detected change or attempted change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system processes the event or wherein the system triggers an outside system to process the event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the event comprises:

determining a risk level associated with the detected change or attempted change to personal information, wherein the protective actions are determined based on the risk level associated with the detected change or attempted change.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein periodically accessing information indicative of the personal information stored by the online service providers comprises:

analyzing an email provided by a user account associated with the user, the email being generated by an online service provider;

or

accessing a user account associated with the user for indications of changes or attempted changes to personal information, the user account enabling access to personal information stored by an online service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the detected change or attempted change is not anticipated, the determination based on pre-authorization information specified by the user, and the pre-authorization information indicating changes that are to be indicated as anticipated,

wherein the system notifies the user based on a positive determination that the detected change or attempted change is not anticipated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the system triggers the event for processing based on the detected change or attempted change not being anticipated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user comprises:

obtaining information indicating that a notification is to be provided; and

notifying the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the system determines the obtained information based on processing the event, or wherein an outside system determines the obtained information based on processing the event, and wherein determining information indicating that a notification is to be provided is based on a risk level associated with the determined change or attempted change.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user comprises:

obtaining one or more protective actions to be applied that are associated with the detected change or attempted change; and

including, in the notification, indications of the protective actions, wherein the system is configured to implement the protective actions in response to an instruction received from the user.

10. A system comprising one or more processors and non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user to monitor personal information stored by different online server providers;

periodically accessing information indicative of the personal information stored by the online service providers, and indicating whether changes or attempted changes were made to the personal information;

triggering, based on the periodic access, an event for processing, the event identifying a detected change or attempted change to personal information, and the event causing determination of one or more of a risk level associated with the detected change or protective actions to be applied to at least one user account; and

notifying, by the system, the user regarding the detected change or attempted change.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system processes the event or wherein the system triggers an outside system to process the event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein processing the event comprises:

determining a risk level associated with the detected change or attempted change to personal information, wherein the protective actions are determined based on the risk level associated with the detected change or attempted change.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein periodically accessing information indicative of the personal information stored by the online service providers comprises:

analyzing an email provided by a user account associated with the user, the email being generated by an online service provider;

or

accessing a user account associated with the user for indications of changes or attempted changes to personal information, the user account enabling access to an online service provider.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the detected change or attempted change is not anticipated, the determination based on pre-authorization information specified by the user, and the pre-authorization information indicating changes that are to be indicated as anticipated,

wherein the system notifies the user based on a positive determination that the detected change or attempted change is not anticipated.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system triggers the event for processing based on the detected change or attempted change not being anticipated.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein notifying the user comprises:

obtaining information indicating that a notification is to be provided; and

notifying the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system determines the obtained information based on processing the event, or wherein an outside system determines the obtained information based on processing the event, and wherein determining information indicating that a notification is to be provided is based on a risk level associated with the determined change or attempted change.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein notifying the user comprises:

obtaining one or more protective actions to be applied that are associated with the detected change or attempted change; and

including, in the notification, indications of the protective actions, wherein the system is configured to implement the protective actions in response to an instruction received from the user.

19. Non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a system of one or more computers, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user to monitor personal information stored by different online server providers;

periodically accessing information indicative of the personal information stored by the online service providers, and indicating whether changes or attempted changes were made to the personal information;

triggering, based on the periodic access, an event for processing, the event identifying a detected change or attempted change to personal information, and the event causing determination of one or more of a risk level associated with the detected change or protective actions to be applied to at least one user account; and

notifying, by the system, the user regarding the detected change or attempted change.

20. The computer storage media of claim 19, wherein the system processes the event or wherein the system triggers an outside system to process the event.