Behavioral Threat Detection via Client Clustering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current intrusion detection systems face challenges in efficiently processing vast amounts of data to detect malicious activities in computer and network security, becoming impractical as software services are decentralized and data flows increase.

Innovation Solution

A server computer system assigns events from a training corpus to categories and clusters client systems based on event patterns, using a behavior model trained on client-cluster-specific sub-corpora to determine if a target event indicates a security threat, allowing for efficient anomaly detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional intrusion detection systems process vast amounts of data from decentralized software services, then detection coverage increases, but system performance becomes impractical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidsystem performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the detection task by clustering client systems into groups based on behavioral characteristics and processing events at different levels. Instead of processing all events from all clients uniformly, the system divides clients into clusters and applies cluster-specific behavior models, reducing the processing burden while maintaining comprehensive detection coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating cluster-specific behavior models that are tailored to the unique event patterns of each client cluster. Rather than using a single generic detection model for all clients, the system generates localized behavior models for each cluster, improving detection accuracy for each group while managing computational resources more efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If the system analyzes all events from all client systems, then detection accuracy improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments events for analysis by first clustering clients and then processing events within each cluster using cluster-specific behavior models. This segmentation allows the system to focus computational resources on relevant event patterns within each cluster rather than uniformly processing all events from all clients, reducing processing time while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary clustering of client systems and generation of behavior models before actual threat detection. By preorganizing clients into clusters and pre-training cluster-specific behavior models on historical data, the system prepares detection frameworks in advance, enabling faster real-time analysis of new events without reprocessing all historical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system processes data from decentralized software services, then detection scope expands, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection scopeVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent manages system complexity by segmenting the decentralized client population into manageable clusters with homogeneous behavioral characteristics. This segmentation organizes the complexity into structured groups that can be processed using standardized cluster-specific models, making the system more adaptable to diverse decentralized services while preventing unmanageable complexity growth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal clustering and behavior modeling framework that can be applied across different types of decentralized software services. The same core algorithms and architecture serve multiple service types, allowing the system to expand its detection scope to various decentralized environments without proportionally increasing complexity in the core system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3895046B1Systems and methods for behavioral threat detectiion
Publication Date: 2023.04.05 BITDEFENDER IPR MANAGEMENT
  • EP3895046B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3895046B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3895046B1 patent drawingFigure 3-A~3-B

AI summary

In some embodiments, a behavioral computer security system protects clients and networks against threats such as malicious software and intrusion. A set of client profiles is constructed according to a training corpus of events occurring on clients, wherein each client profile represents a subset of protected machines, and each client profile is indicative of a normal or baseline pattern of using the machines assigned to the client respective profile. A client profile may group together machines having a similar event statistic. Following training, events detected on a client are selectively analyzed against a client profile associated with the respective client, to detect anomalous behavior. In some embodiments, individual events are analyzed in the context of other events, using a multi-dimensional event embedding space.