Rotation of web site content to prevent e-mail spam/phishing attacks

• US 10,079,856 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hicken, George, Pilkington, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Sholeman, Abu
• Application Number:
  US14/831,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3, 726 22, 713168, 713175, 709 9, 709224, 715530
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for phishing attack management through Web site content rotation. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for phishing attack management through Web site content rotation is provided. The method includes receiving a request for a variation of a component to be incorporated into a Web page from a requesting Web page rendering engine from over a computer communications network. The method also includes comparing the requested variation of the component to a currently configured variation of the component. Finally, the method includes returning both the requested variation of the component and an alert indicating a possible phishing attack in response to the request if the requested variation of the component differs from the currently configured variation of the component.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

a server module including a phishing attack management module, the server module including program code that, when executed in the memory of the host computer, causes the processor(s) to;

store a multiplicity of visual component variations, with at least one of the visual component variations not including a visual representation indicating an alert;

intermittently re-assign one of the visual component variations as the currently-assigned visual component variation;

receive a request for a web page component from the web page of the Web site that specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations, yet that differs from the currently-assigned visual component variation for the web page;

responsive to the request, determine if the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the web page;

on condition that the request is determined to specify a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that does not differ from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page, returning the web page with the currently-assigned visual component variation of the visual component variations, but otherwise on condition that the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page, return the web page with a visual component variation of the visual component variations that includes a visual representation indicating an alert.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, upon an identity of the currently-assigned visual component variation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the return of the web page with the visual component variation of the visual component variations that includes a visual representation indicating an alert manages a suspected phishing attack.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the is based upon a comparison of a uniform resource locator (URL) of the request to a URL of a current variation of the web page.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the visual components is a tool bar for the web page.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the visual components is a menu bar for the web page.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert is a warning message.

8. A method phishing attack management through Web site content rotation comprising:

storing a multiplicity of visual component variations for a web page, with at least one of the visual component variations not including a visual representation indicating an alert;

intermittently re-assigning one of the visual component variations as the currently-assigned visual component variation;

receiving a request for the web page component from the web page of the Web site that specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations, yet that differs from the currently-assigned visual component variation for the web page;

responsive to the request, determining if the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page; and

on condition that the request is determined to specify a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that does not differ from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page, returning the web page with the currently-assigned visual component variation of the visual component variations, but otherwise on condition that the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the web page, returning the web page with that a visual component variation of the visual component variations includes a visual representation indicating an alert.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, upon an identity of the currently-assigned visual component variation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the return of the web page with the visual component variation of the visual component variations that includes a visual representation indicating an alert manages a suspected phishing attack.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the is based upon a comparison of a uniform resource locator (URL) of the request to a URL of a current variation of the web page.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the visual components is a tool bar for the web page.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the visual components is a menu bar for the web page.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the alert is a warning message.

15. A computer program product for phishing attack management through Web site content rotation, the computer program product for comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for;

storing a multiplicity of visual component variations for a web page, with at least one of the visual component variations not including a visual representation indicating an alert;

intermittently re-assigning one of the visual component variations as the currently-assigned visual component variation;

receiving a request for the web page component from the web page of the Web site that specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations, yet that differs from the currently-assigned visual component variation for the web page;

responsive to the request, determining if the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page; and

on condition that the request is determined to specify a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that does not differ from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the the web page, returning the web page with the currently-assigned visual component variation of the visual component variations, but otherwise on condition that the request specifies a retrieval and incorporation of one of the visual component variations that differs from a variation of the component set forth in a current configuration for the web page, returning the web page with a visual component variation of the visual component variations that includes a visual representation indicating an alert.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, upon an identity of the currently-assigned visual component variation.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the return of the web page with the visual component variation of the visual component variations that includes a visual representation indicating an alert manages a suspected phishing attack.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the is based upon a comparison of a uniform resource locator (URL) of the request to a URL of a current variation of the web page.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each of the visual components is a tool bar for the web page.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each of the visual components is a menu bar for the web page.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the alert is a warning message.