Cyber Risk Assessment via Proxy Connection Diversity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack effective methods to assess and mitigate cyber security risks across multiple entities, leading to increased similarity and aggregated risk, which can result in cascading losses during cyber attacks, particularly in cyber insurance and financial portfolios.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for determining diversity and similarity metrics between entities, utilizing a computer agent to collect data, evaluate proxy connections, and recommend network changes to reduce cyber security risks, thereby enhancing diversity and mitigating aggregated risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple entities use similar network configurations and security measures, then implementation cost and complexity are reduced, but aggregated cyber security risk increases leading to cascading losses
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by customizing security configurations for each entity based on their specific risk profile, industry sector, and operational characteristics. Rather than implementing uniform security measures across all entities, the system tailors network architecture, security controls, and monitoring mechanisms to local needs, thereby maintaining security effectiveness while managing complexity through targeted rather than universal approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting security parameters such as firewall rules, intrusion detection thresholds, and access control policies based on real-time risk assessments. The system modifies these parameters in response to changing threat landscapes and entity-specific conditions, enabling adaptive security management that responds to evolving risks without requiring complete reconfiguration of network infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive cyber security assessments are conducted for all entities, then risk identification accuracy improves, but assessment time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the cyber security assessment process into distinct modules that evaluate different aspects of entity risk independently. These modules include network architecture analysis, security control evaluation, threat vulnerability assessment, and compliance verification. By segmenting the assessment into manageable components, the system can process multiple entities simultaneously through parallel evaluation streams, reducing overall assessment time while maintaining comprehensive coverage of security risk factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by prioritizing assessment of critical security domains and high-risk entities first. Rather than conducting equally detailed assessments across all possible security parameters for every entity simultaneously, the system focuses computational resources on the most impactful assessment areas, such as network perimeter security, data protection mechanisms, and access control systems, while using automated scanning for less critical parameters.
3Reliability
If real-time monitoring and reassessment of cyber risks are implemented, then risk response effectiveness improves, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies periodic action by implementing scheduled reassessment cycles that adjust monitoring intensity based on current risk levels and entity priority. Rather than maintaining constant maximum-level monitoring for all entities, the system performs comprehensive reassessments at regular intervals and increases monitoring frequency only when risk indicators suggest emerging threats or when entities undergo significant changes to their network infrastructure or security controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring security events, threat intelligence, and system performance metrics, then using this information to dynamically adjust monitoring resource allocation. When feedback indicates low-risk conditions, the system reduces monitoring intensity to conserve resources; when feedback reveals suspicious patterns or confirmed threats, the system automatically intensifies monitoring and reassessment activities for affected entities.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present technology include methods of assessing risk of a cyber security failure in one or more computer networks for an entity. Various embodiments include establishing a plurality of proxy connections with entity resources, evaluating performance of the proxy connections, and scoring the proxy connections based on performance. Various embodiments may further include automatically determining, based on the proxy score, a change or setting regarding the proxy connections. Various embodiments may also include automatically recommending, based on the assessed risk, computer network changes for the one or more computer networks to reduce the assessed risk. Some embodiments may include providing recommended computer network and/or policy changes to reduce the assessed risk, determining the entity has enacted some recommended network changes, and in response, automatically reassessing the risk of a cyber security failure based on the enacted recommended computer network changes.