Phishing Vulnerability Detection via Local Reconnaissance Agents

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Solution Overview

Problem

Organizations face challenges in effectively detecting vulnerabilities to phishing attacks due to the complexity and cost of establishing and maintaining in-house red teams, and existing automated penetration testing systems often require dedicated servers for message reception, which is burdensome.

Innovation Solution

A penetration testing system with reconnaissance client agents installed on network nodes that detect and report phishing-related events locally, eliminating the need for a dedicated server to receive phishing messages, and allowing for the conduct of phishing vulnerability tests without establishing a dedicated web server.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If organizations hire external expert consultants for penetration testing, then testing expertise and vulnerability detection capability are improved, but cost and time intervals between tests increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection capabilityVSAvoidtime intervals between tests

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The organization deploys automated penetration testing systems that perform self-testing of their own network infrastructure without requiring external consultants. The system automatically scans, identifies vulnerabilities, and generates reports, enabling continuous self-assessment rather than periodic external audits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual penetration testing by expert consultants is replaced with automated software-based testing systems. The mechanical human expertise is substituted with algorithmic automated scanning and vulnerability detection tools that can continuously operate without human intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If organizations establish in-house red teams, then continuous vulnerability testing is improved, but complexity and cost of establishment increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous vulnerability testingVSAvoidcomplexity of establishing red team

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex human red team structure is replaced with automated penetration testing software systems. These systems perform vulnerability assessments automatically without requiring specialized human expertise, thereby reducing organizational complexity while maintaining continuous testing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The organization uses self-service automated testing tools that require minimal configuration and maintenance. The system independently performs vulnerability scanning and reporting without requiring dedicated in-house security experts to operate it.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If dedicated servers are deployed to receive phishing messages, then phishing attack detection capability is improved, but infrastructure burden and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephishing attack detection capabilityVSAvoidinfrastructure burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The phishing message reception function is extracted from dedicated server infrastructure and integrated directly into the automated penetration testing system. The testing system itself handles phishing message generation and detection without requiring separate dedicated servers, thereby reducing infrastructure burden while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10574684B2Locally detecting phishing weakness

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 XM CYBER LTD

AI summary

Methods and systems of testing for phishing security vulnerabilities are disclosed, including methods of penetration testing of a network node by a penetration testing system comprising a reconnaissance agent software module installed in the network node, and a penetration testing software module installed on a remote computing device. Penetration testing systems are provided so as to locally detect weaknesses that would expose network nodes to phishing-based attacks.