Detecting and managing abnormal data behavior

• US 9,794,291 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iBoss
• Original Assignee: iBoss
• Inventors: Martini, Paul Michael, Martini, Peter Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, FARHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/944,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing destination-specific network management are described. One example method includes determining a normal data movement profile for a computing device based on observed normal data transfer behavior by the computing device; identifying a data movement rule associated with the computing device, the data movement rule including a deviation amount, and one or more actions to take when the computing device deviates from the normal data movement profile by more than the deviation amount; detecting a data movement associated with the computing device; determining that the detected data movement exceeds the deviation amount included in the data movement rule relative to the normal data movement profile for the computing device; and performing the one or more actions associated with the data movement rule upon determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors, the method comprising:

identifying one or more data movements performed by a particular computing device over a network;

determining a normal data movement profile for the particular computing device based on one or more identified data transfers during a particular time period, the normal data movement profile including one or more normal data movement destinations associated with the particular computing device, wherein the normal data movement destinations represent one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

identifying a data movement rule associated with the particular computing device, the data movement rule including a deviation amount representing a difference between an attribute of a detected data movement by the particular computing device and a corresponding normal data movement attribute included in the normal data movement profile for the particular computing device that indicates a violation of the data movement rule, and the data movement rule including one or more actions to be performed in response to a violation;

after determining the normal data movement profile and identifying the data movement rule;

monitoring data movements performed by the particular computing device;

identifying data movement destinations of the monitored data movements, wherein the identified data movement destinations represent the one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

determining that at least one of the identified data movement destinations differs from a corresponding normal data movement destination for the particular computing device by at least the deviation amount for the data movement rule; and

performing the one or more actions associated with the data movement rule upon determining that the identified data movement destinations differ from a corresponding normal data movement attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes an amount of data transferred during the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the amount of data transferred that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that an amount of data associated with the data movement is greater than the amount of data transferred by more than the deviation amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a data transfer type distribution for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the data transfer type distribution that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that an observed data transfer type distribution associated with the data movement differs from the data transfer type distribution by more than the deviation amount.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data transfer type distribution includes a ratio of Universal Datagram Protocol (UDP) transfers to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transfers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a number of simultaneous data destinations for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the number of simultaneous data destinations transferred that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that a number of simultaneous data destinations for the particular computing device is greater than the number of simultaneous data destinations by more than the deviation amount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a data rate for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the data rate that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that a data rate for the particular computing device is greater than the data rate by more than the deviation amount.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of other computing devices that receive data transfers from the particular computing device comprise a geo-location result of an IP address to which the data is being moved.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data movement occurs from a private network to a public network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data movement occurs from a first private network to a second private network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data movement includes at least one of data being transferred from the particular computing device or data being transferred to the particular computing device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of other computing devices that receive data transfers from the particular computing device comprise a range of IP addresses.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions operable when executed to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying one or more data movements performed by a particular computing device over a network;

determining a normal data movement profile for the particular computing device based on one or more identified data transfers during a particular time period, the normal data movement profile including one or more normal data movement destinations associated with the particular computing device, wherein the normal data movement destinations represent one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

identifying a data movement rule associated with the particular computing device, the data movement rule including a deviation amount representing a difference between an attribute of a detected data movement by the particular computing device and a corresponding normal data movement attribute included in the normal data movement profile for the particular computing device that indicates a violation of the data movement rule, and the data movement rule including one or more actions to be performed in response to a violation;

after determining the normal data movement profile and identifying the data movement rule;

monitoring data movements performed by the particular computing device;

identifying data movement destinations of the monitored data movements, wherein the identified data movement destinations represent the one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

determining that at least one of the identified data movement destinations differs from a corresponding normal data movement destination for the particular computing device by at least the deviation amount for the data movement rule; and

performing the one or more actions associated with the data movement rule upon determining that the identified data movement destinations differ from a corresponding normal data movement attribute.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes an amount of data transferred during the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the amount of data transferred that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that an amount of data associated with the data movement is greater than the amount of data transferred by more than the deviation amount.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a data transfer type distribution for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the data transfer type distribution that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that an observed data transfer type distribution associated with the data movement differs from the data transfer type distribution by more than the deviation amount.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data transfer type distribution includes a ratio of Universal Datagram Protocol (UDP) transfers to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transfers.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a number of simultaneous data destinations for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the number of simultaneous data destinations transferred that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that a number of simultaneous data destinations for the particular computing device is greater than the number of simultaneous data destinations by more than the deviation amount.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

the normal data movement profile includes a data rate for the particular time period,

the deviation amount specifies a percentage deviation from the data rate that will trigger the data movement rule, and

determining that the data movement violates the data movement rule comprises determining that a data rate for the particular computing device is greater than the data rate by more than the deviation amount.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more features of other computing devices that receive data transfers from the particular computing device comprise a geo-location result of an IP address to which the data is being moved.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more features of other computing devices that receive data transfers from the particular computing device comprise a range of IP addresses.

18. A system comprising:

memory for storing data; and

one or more processors operable to perform operations comprising;

identifying one or more data movements performed by a particular computing device over a network;

determining a normal data movement profile for the particular computing device based on one or more identified data transfers during a particular time period, the normal data movement profile including one or more normal data movement destinations associated with the particular computing device, wherein the normal data movement destinations represent one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

identifying a data movement rule associated with the particular computing device, the data movement rule including a deviation amount representing a difference between an attribute of a detected data movement by the particular computing device and a corresponding normal data movement attribute included in the normal data movement profile for the particular computing device that indicates a violation of the data movement rule, and the data movement rule including one or more actions to be performed in response to a violation;

after determining the normal data movement profile and identifying the data movement rule;

monitoring data movements performed by the particular computing device;

identifying data movement destinations of the monitored data movements, wherein the identified data movement destinations represent the one or more features of other computing devices to which the data is being moved;

determining that at least one of the identified data movement destinations differs from a corresponding normal data movement destination for the particular computing device by at least the deviation amount for the data movement rule; and

performing the one or more actions associated with the data movement rule upon determining that the identified data movement destinations differ from a corresponding normal data movement attribute.