Network Security Assessment Tool Aggregating Threats and Countermeasures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vulnerability assessment and security tools only provide discrete information about vulnerabilities in computing systems and networks, failing to offer an overall security assessment within the context of network security, thus not effectively addressing potential threats and countermeasures.

Innovation Solution

A security assessment tool that determines an overall security score for a network by identifying computer assets, assessing potential security threats, and evaluating the effectiveness of deployed countermeasures, providing recommendations for improvement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If discrete vulnerability information is provided, then vulnerability detection capability is improved, but overall security assessment capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection capabilityVSAvoidoverall security assessment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple discrete vulnerability assessment results into a unified overall security score. The system aggregates individual vulnerability findings, countermeasure evaluations, and risk assessments into a comprehensive security metric that provides both detailed vulnerability information and holistic security posture evaluation simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The security assessment tool is designed to perform multiple functions: identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating countermeasures, calculating risk scores, and providing overall security assessments. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to deliver both specific vulnerability detection and comprehensive security evaluation without requiring separate tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive security assessment is provided, then overall security understanding is improved, but information processing complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverall security assessment capabilityVSAvoidinformation processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex security assessment process into distinct components: vulnerability identification, countermeasure evaluation, risk calculation, and score aggregation. Each component handles a specific aspect of security assessment, making the overall complex process manageable through modular processing steps that can be executed systematically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms complex security data into simplified numerical parameters and scores. By converting qualitative security assessments and multiple vulnerability metrics into quantitative risk scores and overall security metrics, the system reduces information processing complexity while maintaining comprehensive assessment capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9270694B2Systems and methods for assessing security for a network of assets and providing recommendations

Publication Date: 2016.02.23 RAPID7 INC

AI summary

A security assessment tool can determine computer assets in a network and provide an overall security score for the network. The overall security score can represent an objective measure of the security of the network that considers potential security threats to the computer assets, counter measures deployed in the network to address the potential security threats, and the effectiveness of the counter measures. Based on the overall security assessment, the security assessment tool can provide recommendations for improving the security of the network.