Dynamic Attack Surface Risk Scoring for Alert Prioritization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network security assessment methods rely on static representations and manual analysis, failing to provide actionable insights into evolving attack surfaces, leading to overwhelming alerts and difficulty in prioritizing risks and discerning business impact.

Innovation Solution

A system that dynamically evaluates the attack surface by identifying vulnerabilities, assigning incident risk scores, and providing a granular security rating that evolves over time, incorporating expert-driven risk factors and asset criticality, to facilitate effective risk prioritization and remediation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing solutions provide comprehensive security alerts, then security coverage is improved, but alert volume becomes overwhelming and difficult to prioritize

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity coverageVSAvoidalert volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monolithic alert system into multiple hierarchical levels: individual asset risk scores, incident risk scores, and aggregate security ratings. This segmentation allows security teams to analyze risks at different granularities and prioritize effectively without being overwhelmed by a single mass of alerts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms security assessment from qualitative manual analysis to quantitative automated scoring using multiple parameters (asset criticality, vulnerability severity, exploitability factors). This parameter-based approach enables automated prioritization and reduces the cognitive burden on security analysts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If manual analysis methods are used, then detailed security assessment is possible, but productivity and response time deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity assessment detailVSAvoidrisk analysis speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated self-assessment of security posture by continuously collecting data from multiple sources, calculating risk scores, and generating security ratings without requiring manual intervention. This automation maintains detailed assessment capabilities while dramatically improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous feedback loops where security metrics are automatically measured, analyzed, and used to update risk scores and security ratings in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables both precise measurement and rapid response to changing security conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If static security representations are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to evolving threats deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidthreat response capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from static security assessments to dynamic continuous monitoring. Security ratings and risk scores are updated in real-time as new information becomes available, enabling the system to adapt to evolving threats while maintaining a structured framework through standardized calculation methodologies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Loss of information

If comprehensive vulnerability data is collected, then security awareness is improved, but difficulty in discerning business impact increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity information completenessVSAvoidbusiness impact assessment
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by weighting different vulnerability characteristics differently based on their relevance to business impact. Asset criticality scores and incident risk scores prioritize information that directly correlates with business impact, allowing comprehensive data collection while maintaining clear visibility into what matters most for business decision-making.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250280027A1Security rating & incident risk scoring for attack surface management
Publication Date: 2025.09.04 PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC
  • US20250280027A1 patent drawing
  • US20250280027A1 patent drawing
  • US20250280027A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method, system, and device for identifying network incident risk. The method includes (i) determining a set of incident scores for a set of incidents on a network, (ii) generating a security rating for an attack surface for the network, wherein the security rating is an aggregation of the incident risk scores associated with a subset of risks on the network, and (iii) providing the security rating.