Client capture of vulnerability data

• US 20050022003A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brett M. Oliphant
• Original Assignee: Brett M. Oliphant
• Inventors: Oliphant, Brett M.
• Application Number:
  US10/883,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022003A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis

Abstract

A security information management system is described, wherein client-side devices preferably collect and monitor information describing the operating system, software, and patches installed on the device(s), as well as configuration thereof. A database of this information is maintained, along with data describing vulnerabilities of available software and associated remediation techniques available for it. The system exposes an API to support security-related decisions by other applications. For example, an intrusion detection system (IDS) accesses the database to determine whether an actual threat exists and should be (or has been) blocked.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a plurality of networked computing devices; and

a database containing configuration information for each of the plurality of networked computing devices;

wherein each of the networked computing devices comprises;

a processor; and

a memory encoded with programming instructions executable by the processor to

monitor the configuration of the computing device and

communicate the configuration of the computing device to the database.