Defanged Email Remediation for Cross-Domain Phishing Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing phishing detection systems are ineffective against sophisticated phishing attempts that evade filters, leading to potential compromise of corporate infrastructure due to manual reaction delays.
Innovation Solution
A secure communications service that automatically detects and remediates phishing threats across domains based on user reporting, generating defanged versions of malicious electronic communications to prevent compromise without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual detection and reaction to phishing emails is used, then detection accuracy can be maintained through human judgment, but response time is too slow (30 minutes to an hour or more) allowing malware compromise
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting phishing emails and immediately generating defanged versions before manual review is complete. The automated system proactively identifies threats, creates sanitized copies, and prepares remediation actions in advance, eliminating the 30-minute to hour-long delay inherent in manual processes while maintaining detection accuracy through human-in-the-loop validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated system that acts as a bridge between manual detection and final remediation. This intermediary automatically processes phishing emails by generating defanged versions and coordinating with manual reviewers, thus accelerating response time while preserving the detection accuracy of human judgment through collaborative verification.
2Loss of time
If automated filters are used to detect phishing emails, then response time is reduced, but detection accuracy decreases as clever phishing messages evade filters through spoofing and deception
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges automated filtering capabilities with manual review processes into a unified hybrid approach. Automated filters provide rapid initial detection and triage, while manual reviewers validate and confirm phishing attempts. This combination maintains the speed advantages of automation while preserving the accuracy of human judgment, preventing sophisticated phishing messages from evading detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback loops where manual review outcomes feed back into the automated filtering system. When human reviewers confirm or reject automated detections, this feedback refines and improves the automated filter's accuracy over time. This continuous learning process allows the system to maintain rapid response times while progressively improving detection accuracy against evolving phishing techniques.
3Reliability
If defanged versions of malicious emails are generated and distributed rapidly, then protection coverage is improved across the domain, but system complexity increases due to automated monitoring and generation processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex task of phishing remediation into distinct modular components: automated detection modules, defanged version generation modules, distribution modules, and monitoring modules. Each component handles a specific aspect of the process independently, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable while achieving comprehensive protection coverage across the domain through coordinated operation of these segmented functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for determining that a first electronic communication, received in a first private repository of a user, has been identified (e.g., flagged) as including a threat, and determining a probability that the first electronic communication includes the threat. In response to determining that the probability exceeds a threshold probability, the system monitors monitoring for a second electronic communication, received in a second private repository, that includes contents that match the contents of the first electronic communication. In response to, based on the monitoring, identification of the second electronic communication, the system generates a copy of the second electronic communication to an administrative private repository of an administrator, edits the copy to remove a portion that is likely to include the threat, inserts the copy of the second electronic communication to the second private repository, and deletes the second electronic communication from the second private repository.