Risk analysis based on electronic security levels of a vehicle

• US 10,332,211 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Cielocha, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/060,164
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining a risk rating of a vehicle. The method includes receiving information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access to one or more electronic systems of a vehicle. The method includes determining a vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access. The method includes determining a risk rating associated with the vehicle. The method includes setting at least one parameter of an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on at least the determined risk rating.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing, by one or more processors of a computing system, a wireless communication link to be established with a vehicle, the wireless communication link communicatively coupling the vehicle and the computing system;

receiving, automatically at regular time intervals, at the computing system, information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access to one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

receiving, automatically at the regular time intervals, at the computing system, vehicle identification information stored in the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

identifying, by the one or more processors, an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on the received vehicle identification information;

determining, by the one or more processors, a vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access;

determining, by the one or more processors and based at least on the vehicle security level, a risk rating associated with the vehicle; and

setting, by the one or more processors, at least one parameter of the insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on at least the determined risk rating.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the vehicle security level is increased in accordance with one or more security updates available for the one or more electronic systems;

determining, by the one or more processors, a modification to the at least one parameter based at least on whether the vehicle security level is increased in accordance with the one or more security updates; and

modifying, by the one or more processors, the at least one parameter in accordance with the determined modification.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, by the one or more processors, a policy holder of the insurance policy to be notified about the modification.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the vehicle security level comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, a security metric of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, wherein security metric is indicative of potential loss associated with the vehicle; and

determining, by the one or more processors, the vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access and the determined security metric.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic includes receiving, at the computing system, one or more of (i) a type of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, (ii) an update of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, and (iii) a version of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing a wireless communication link to be established with the vehicle includes causing a communication link to be established with a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with the vehicle.

7. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory coupled to the one or more computing devices and storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to;

cause a wireless communication link to be established with a vehicle, the wireless communication link communicatively coupling the vehicle and the computing devices;

receive, automatically at regular time intervals, information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access to one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

receive, automatically at the regular time intervals, vehicle identification information stored in the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

identify an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on the received vehicle identification information;

determine a vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access;

determine, based at least on the vehicle security level, a risk rating associated with the vehicle; and

set at least one parameter of the insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on at least the determined risk rating.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable memory are further executable to cause the one or more computing devices to:

determine whether the vehicle security level is increased in accordance with one or more security updates available for the one or more electronic systems;

determine a modification to the at least one parameter based at least on whether the vehicle security level is increased in accordance with the one or more security updates; and

modify the at least one parameter in accordance with the determined modification.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable memory are further executable to cause the one or more computing devices to:

cause a policy holder of the insurance policy to be notified about the modification.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the vehicle security level comprises:

determining a security metric of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, wherein security metric is indicative of potential loss associated with the vehicle; and

determining the vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access and the determined security metric.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein receiving the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic includes receiving, at the computing system, one or more of (i) a type of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, (ii) an update of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, and (iii) a version of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a database, wherein the database stores one or both of (i) one or more currently available security updates corresponding to at least one of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle and (ii) one or more currently available versions of software corresponding to at least one of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining the vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access comprises:

retrieving from the database one or both of (i) the one or more currently available security updates and (ii) the one or more currently available versions of software; and

determining the vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access and one or both of (i) the one or more currently available security updates and (ii) the one or more currently available versions of software.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing, by one or more processors of a computing system, a wireless communication link to be established with a vehicle, the wireless communication link communicatively coupling the vehicle and the computing system;

receiving, automatically at regular time intervals, at the computing system, information indicative of updated protections against unauthorized electronic access installed on one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

receiving, automatically at the regular time intervals, at the computing system, vehicle identification information stored in the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle via the wireless communication link;

identifying, by the one or more processors, an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on the received vehicle identification information;

determining, by the one or more processors, a vehicle security level based on the information indicative of the updated protections against unauthorized electronic access;

determining, by the one or more processors and based on the vehicle security level, a risk rating associated with the vehicle; and

modifying, by the one or more processors, at least one parameter of the insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on the determined risk rating.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

causing, by the one or more processors, a policy holder of the insurance policy to be notified about the modification.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein determining the vehicle security level comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, a security metric of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, wherein security metric is indicative of potential loss associated with the vehicle; and

determining, by the one or more processors, the vehicle security level based at least on the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic access and the determined security metric.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein receiving the information indicative of protections against unauthorized electronic includes receiving, at the computing system, one or more of (i) a type of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, (ii) an update of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle, and (iii) a version of software of each of the one or more electronic systems of the vehicle.