Network Replica Generation from Natural Language Descriptions

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Building accurate replicas of an adversary's computing infrastructure without direct access is challenging due to incomplete descriptions and the complexity of cyber-network architectures, making it impractical for analysts to manually gather the necessary information.

Innovation Solution

A system that automatically leverages natural language descriptions of computing infrastructure, combined with additional knowledge from disparate sources, to generate an operational replica of an adversary's computing system using natural language processing techniques and algorithms like software co-exist and textual nearest neighbors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If analysts manually gather information from publicly available descriptions to build adversary computing network replicas, then they can perform security analysis, but the process requires excessive time and human effort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of network replicaVSAvoidtime and effort to gather information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically harvesting information from publicly available sources and generating network replicas without requiring manual analyst intervention for data gathering. The automated information harvesting system independently collects, processes, and structures data to build comprehensive network models.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual process of information gathering with automated computational systems. Natural language processing algorithms and information harvesting mechanisms substitute for human analysts in collecting and processing data from multiple sources, transforming unstructured text into structured network representations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of information

If analysts manually parse through large volumes of data to fill in missing infrastructure details, then they can create operational replicas, but the process becomes impractical and infeasible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of infrastructure detailsVSAvoidpracticality of manual analysis process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary automated information harvesting layer between the publicly available descriptions and the final network replica. This intermediary automatically collects missing infrastructure details from multiple sources, processes the information, and integrates it into the network model, eliminating the need for manual data parsing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The automated information harvesting system performs multiple functions simultaneously: collecting data from diverse sources, processing natural language descriptions, extracting infrastructure details, and integrating information into a unified network model. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple manual tasks with a single automated system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If detailed information about adversary computing infrastructure is available, then accurate operational replicas can be built, but such detailed information is not usually available in publicly available descriptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of network replicaVSAvoidavailability of infrastructure details

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary information gathering and processing before replica construction. It proactively harvests and stores infrastructure details from publicly available sources in advance, preparing structured data that can be directly used for accurate network replica generation without requiring manual information collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates copies of adversary computing infrastructure by harvesting descriptive information from publicly available sources and replicating the network structure, topology, and relationships in a virtual environment. This copying process reconstructs the original system's architecture and behavior patterns without direct access to the actual infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20250126024A1Systems and methods for generating computing network infrastructure from natural-language descriptions

Publication Date: 2025.04.17 THE MITRE CORPORATION

AI summary

Described herein are systems and methods for generating a computing network from natural language descriptions of the computing network are provided. In one or more examples, the systems and methods described below can be used harvest publicly available (or even privately available) natural language descriptions of a computing network, and convert those descriptions into an operational replica of the described computing network. By harvesting both publicly available data, as well as other resources, the systems and methods described herein can allow for an analyst tasked with analyzing a given computing network to generate a fully operational replica of the computing network without having to have direct access to the network. In one or more examples, the analyst can recreate a fully-functional replica of the network to be analyzed based on partial descriptions of the computing network, thereby greatly improving the level of analysis capable of being performed.