Blacklisting and whitelisting of security-related events

• US 9,276,946 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splunk Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Splunk Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coates, John, Murphey, Lucas, Hazekamp, David, Hansen, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/280,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 726 22- 25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• 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 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A disclosed computer-implemented method includes receiving and indexing the raw data. Indexing includes dividing the raw data into time stamped searchable events that include information relating to computer or network security. Store the indexed data in an indexed data store and extract values from a field in the indexed data using a schema. Search the extracted field values for the security information. Determine a group of security events using the security information. Each security event includes a field value specified by a criteria. Present a graphical interface (GI) including a summary of the group of security events, other summaries of security events, and a remove element (associated with the summary). Receive input corresponding to an interaction of the remove element. Interacting with the remove element causes the summary to be removed from the GI. Update the GI to remove the summary from the GI.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving raw data from one or more data sources;

segmenting the raw data into a plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, wherein each event in the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events includes information relating to performance or security of an information technology system;

creating an event group from the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, each event in the event group matching criteria relating to one or more fields;

determining an event group summary, the summary summarizing one or more fields of the events in the event group;

causing display of a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of event group summaries including the event group summary;

based on user input in response to the display of the graphical user interface, placing a selected event group summary on a whitelist or a blacklist, wherein placing the selected event group summary on the whitelist removes the selected event group summary from the displayed plurality of event group summaries, and wherein placing the selected event group summary on the blacklist changes a visual appearance of the selected event group summary among the displayed plurality of event group summaries;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each event in the plurality of events includes security-related information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one event group summary of the displayed event group summaries includes domain activity information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving log data;

organizing the received log data into the plurality of events, wherein an event is comprised of at least a portion of one or more lines of data within the log data.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the criteria is evaluated using a late binding schema applied to at least a portion of the plurality of events.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each event of the plurality of events is associated with a time stamp, and wherein the event group summary encompasses events having time stamps within a specified time period.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a user input, removing an event group summary from the whitelist and displaying the removed event group summary with the displayed plurality of event group summaries.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives raw data from one or more data sources;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that segments the raw data into a plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, wherein each event in the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events includes information relating to performance or security of an information technology system;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that creates an event group from the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, each event in the event group matching criteria relating to one or more fields;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that determines an event group summary, the summary summarizing one or more fields of the events in the event group;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causing display of a graphical user interface that displays a plurality of event group summaries including the event group summary;

a list subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that, based on user input in response to the display of the graphical user interface, places a selected event group summary on a whitelist or a blacklist, wherein when the list subsystem places the selected event group summary on the whitelist the list subsystem removes the selected event group summary from the displayed plurality of event group summaries, and wherein when the list subsystem places the selected event group summary on the blacklist the list subsystem changes a visual appearance of the selected event group summary among the displayed plurality of event group summaries.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein each event in the plurality of events includes security-related information.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one event group summary of the displayed event group summaries includes domain activity information.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives log data;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that organizes the received log data into the plurality of events, wherein an event is comprised of at least a portion of one or more lines of data within the log data.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the criteria is evaluated using a late binding schema applied to at least a portion of the plurality of events.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein each event of the plurality of events is associated with a time stamp, and wherein the event group summary encompasses events having time stamps within a specified time period.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that, in response to a user input, removes an event group summary from the whitelist and displays the removed event group summary with the displayed plurality of event group summaries.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, storing software instructions, which when executed by one or more processors cause performance of:

receiving raw data from one or more data sources;

segmenting the raw data into a plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, wherein each event in the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events includes information relating to performance or security of an information technology system;

creating an event group from the plurality of time-stamped, searchable events, each event in the event group matching criteria relating to one or more fields;

determining an event group summary, the summary summarizing one or more fields of the events in the event group;

causing display of a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of event group summaries including the event group summary;

based on user input in response to the display of the graphical user interface, placing a selected event group summary on a whitelist or a blacklist, wherein placing the selected event group summary on the whitelist removes the selected event group summary from the displayed plurality of event group summaries, and wherein placing the selected event group summary on the blacklist changes a visual appearance of the selected event group summary among the displayed plurality of event group summaries.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein each event in the plurality of events includes security-related information.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one event group summary of the displayed event group summaries includes domain activity information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving log data;

organizing the received log data into the plurality of events, wherein an event is comprised of at least a portion of one or more lines of data within the log data.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the criteria is evaluated using a late binding schema applied to at least a portion of the plurality of events.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein each event of the plurality of events is associated with a time stamp, and wherein the event group summary encompasses events having time stamps within a specified time period.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

in response to a user input, removing an event group summary from the whitelist and displaying the removed event group summary with the displayed plurality of event group summaries.