IOC Filtering for Security Threat Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current computer and network security systems face challenges in efficiently detecting and mitigating malware attacks due to the overwhelming number of indicators of compromise, which consume significant computing resources and often result in false positives, hindering quick response times and resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

A system that gathers and assesses indicators of compromise (IOCs) from multiple security data providers, filters out low-performing IOCs based on performance scores, and incentivizes providers with compensation for high-quality IOCs, allowing users to subscribe to relevant indicators and prioritize computing resources for effective threat detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If security systems monitor all indicators of compromise from multiple providers, then detection coverage is improved, but computing resource consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the large set of IOCs into smaller subsets based on performance scores. High-performing IOCs (above threshold) are monitored continuously across all telemetry data, while low-performing IOCs are monitored selectively or not at all, dividing the monitoring workload into manageable segments that reduce overall computing resource consumption while maintaining detection coverage for the most effective indicators.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of IOC selection by introducing performance scores and thresholds. Instead of monitoring all IOCs uniformly, the system evaluates each IOC's performance score and adjusts monitoring based on whether the score exceeds a predefined threshold, thereby optimizing resource allocation between detection coverage and computational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If security systems use a large number of indicators of compromise, then threat detection capability is improved, but false positives increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethreat detection capabilityVSAvoidfalse positive rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and removes low-performing IOCs from the monitoring set based on performance score thresholds. By taking out IOCs that consistently generate false positives or have low detection value, the system maintains threat detection capability through high-performing IOCs while reducing the false positive rate caused by ineffective indicators.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the composition parameter of the IOC set by dynamically adjusting which IOCs are active based on performance scores. IOCs with scores below the threshold are excluded or reduced in monitoring intensity, thereby improving measurement precision by filtering out indicators that contribute disproportionately to false positives while preserving detection capability through high-scoring IOCs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If security systems monitor all indicators of compromise, then comprehensive threat coverage is improved, but response time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethreat coverageVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments IOC monitoring into priority levels based on performance scores. High-performing IOCs are monitored with high priority and processed immediately in telemetry data, while low-performing IOCs are monitored with lower priority or skipped during high-load periods. This segmentation enables comprehensive threat coverage through multiple IOCs while maintaining quick response times for the most effective indicators.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial action by monitoring only the subset of IOCs that exceed the performance threshold with full intensity, while applying reduced or selective monitoring to lower-scoring IOCs. This approach maintains comprehensive coverage through the high-performing subset while reducing processing time, as the system does not expend equal resources on every single IOC but rather focuses computational effort where it yields the most timely and accurate results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10469509B2Gathering indicators of compromise for security threat detection
Publication Date: 2019.11.05 CHRONICLE LLC
  • US10469509B2 patent drawing
  • US10469509B2 patent drawing
  • US10469509B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The subject matter of this specification generally relates to computer security. In some implementations, a method includes receiving indicators of compromise from multiple security data providers. Each indicator of compromise can include data specifying one or more characteristics of one or more computer security threats. Each indicator of compromise can be configured to, when processed by a computer, cause the computer to detect the presence of the specified one or more characteristics of the one or more computer security threats. Telemetry data for computing systems of users can be received. The telemetry data can include data describing at least one event detected at the computing system. A determination is made that the telemetry data for a given user includes the one or more characteristics specified by a given indicator of compromise.