Graphical representation of aggregated data

• US 9,147,271 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dang, Yingnong, Zhang, Dongmei, Wang, Min, Hou, Xiaohui, Wang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fibbi, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US11/820,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,023 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/814, 715/736, 726/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method for enabling graphical representation of aggregated data is provided. The method includes accessing aggregated data retrieved from a plurality of on-line sources and receiving selection of a portion of the data through a graphical user interface. The method further includes identifying attributes associated with the portion of the data and generating a graphical representation of the portion of the data.

Claims

1. A method for enabling graphical representation of aggregated data comprising:

accessing aggregated data retrieved from a plurality of on-line sources, the plurality of on-line sources including a plurality of message board postings, the aggregated data indicating that a first software product and a second software product are related to at least one of one or more same vulnerabilities or one or more same security issues based on at least one first keyword retrieved from a first message board posting associated with the first software product and at least one second keyword retrieved from a second message board posting associated with the second software product corresponding to the at least one of the one or more same vulnerabilities or the one or more same security issues;

receiving a selection of a portion of said data through a graphical user interface;

determining a reliability of information trust level associated with said portion of said data comprising determining a trust rating for said portion of said data based on how reliable the information is for its purpose using one or more trust-related metrics, the one or more trust-related metrics comprising a trust level assigned to a source of said portion of said data; and

generating a graphical representation of said portion of said data, the graphical representation associated with at least one of the at least one first keyword retrieved from the first message board posting or the at least one second keyword retrieved from the second message board posting, the graphical representation further associated with at least one of the at least one of the one or more same vulnerabilities or the one or more same security issues or the trust level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of said data is selected based on a range of time.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining a trend associated with said portion of said data; and

generating a graphical representation associated with said trend.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the trust rating for said portion of said data based on trust levels assigned by third-parties.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more trust-related metrics comprise:

accuracy of information provided by said portion of said data.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a graphical representation associated with said trust level comprising:

generating a numerical representation of a trust rating associated with said portion of said data.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising ranking said portion of said data according to the trust rating associated with said portion of said data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more trust-related metrics comprise usefulness of information provided by said portion of said data for its intended purpose.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a graphical representation associated with said trust level comprising:

generating a color coded representation of a trust rating associated with said portion of said data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first keyword identifies at least one of a product version of the first software product or a product name of the first software product;

and

wherein the at least one second keyword identifies at least one of a product version of the second software product or a product name of the second software product.

11. A system for enabling graphical representation of aggregated data comprising:

a data compilation component configured to aggregate data collected from a plurality of on-line sources, the plurality of on-line sources including a plurality of message board postings, the aggregated data indicating that a first software product and a second software product are related to at least one of one or more same vulnerabilities or one or more same security issues based on at least one first keyword retrieved from a first message board posting associated with the first software product and at least one second keyword retrieved from a second message board posting associated with the second software product corresponding to the at least one of the one or more same vulnerabilities or the one or more same security issues;

a trust determiner configured to determine a reliability of information trust level associated with a portion of said data based on a trust rating for said portion of said data, where the trust rating is based on how reliable the information is for its purpose using one or more trust-related metrics, the one or more trust-related metrics comprising a trust level assigned to a source of said portion of said data; and

a graphical user interface (UI) controller configured to;

generate a graphical representation of said portion of said data in a UI, the graphical representation associated with at least one of the at least one first keyword retrieved from the first message board posting or the at least one second keyword retrieved from the second message board posting, the graphical representation further associated with at least one of the at least one of the one or more same vulnerabilities or the one or more same security issues or the trust level.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data compilation component is configured to select said portion of said data based on a range of time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the determiner is configured to determine the one or more trust-related metrics based on

accuracy of information provided by said portion of said data.

14. The system of claim 11 comprising:

a trend determiner component configured to determine a trend relationship between a first attribute of said portion of said data and a second attribute of said portion of said data;

wherein said graphical user interface controller generates a graphical representation associated with said trend relationship.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the determiner is configured to determine the one or more trust-related metrics based on usefulness of information provided by said portion of said data for its intended purpose.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface (UI) controller is configured to generating a numerical representation of a trust rating associated with said portion of said data.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface (UI) controller is configured to generate a color coded representation of a trust rating associated with said portion of said data.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one first keyword includes a product name of the first software product;

and

wherein the at least one second keyword includes a product name of the second software product.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one first keyword identifies a product version of the first software product;

and

wherein the at least one second keyword identifies a product version of the second software product.

20. A method for enabling graphical representation of aggregated data, executed via a processor on a computer comprising memory whereon computer-executable instructions comprising the method are stored, comprising:

accessing aggregated security related data associated with software vulnerabilities retrieved from a plurality of on-line sources;

receiving a selection of a portion of said security related data through a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said portion of said data is selected based on a range of time;

identifying attributes associated with said portion of said data;

determining a relationship between a first attribute of said portion of said data and a second attribute of said portion of said data;

determining a trend associated with said portion of said data;

determining a reliability of information trust level associated with said portion of said data comprising determining a trust rating for said portion of said data based on how reliable the information is for its purpose using one or more trust-related metrics, the one or more trust-related metrics comprising;

accuracy of information provided by said portion of said data;

a trust level assigned to a source of said portion of said data;

usefulness of information provided by said portion of said data for its intended purpose; and

user ratings associated with the information provided by said portion of said data;

ranking said portion of said data according to the trust level associated with said portion of said data;

accessing a key word associated with said portion of said data; and

generating one or more graphical representations of said portion of said data, the graphical representations comprising;

a graphical representation associated with said relationship;

a graphical representation associated with said trend;

a graphical representation associated with said trust level;

a graphical representation associated with said keyword; and

a graphical representation of a message posting associated with said portion of said data.