Ransomware Detection via User Behavior and System Status Monitoring

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antivirus technologies face challenges in detecting unknown ransomware programs that obstruct user interaction with the operating system, as they often cannot differentiate between malicious and legitimate software behaviors, leading to potential blockage of user access to antivirus tools.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that monitor user behavior patterns and operating system status patterns to detect ransomware by comparing current interactions against reference sets, using a user input monitoring module, input data analysis module, and decision module to identify and remediate ransomware presence, allowing for timely intervention without external utilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If behavior analysis and code emulation are used to detect malicious software, then the ability to differentiate safe programs from malicious ones is improved, but false positives occur when legitimate software performs actions similar to malicious programs (e.g., full-screen applications)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidfalse positive rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts detection parameters and thresholds based on real-time analysis of user behavior patterns and system state changes. Instead of using static detection rules, the system adapts its sensitivity and classification criteria during operation, allowing it to distinguish between legitimate full-screen applications and ransomware by observing dynamic behavioral characteristics such as interaction frequency, system resource usage patterns, and user response times.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If traditional signature detection and heuristic analysis are used, then known malicious programs can be detected, but unknown ransomware programs that obstruct user interaction cannot be quickly detected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection of known malwareVSAvoiddetection time for unknown ransomware
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring and collection of baseline user behavior patterns and system state information before ransomware infection occurs. By establishing normal operational profiles in advance, the system can quickly compare current system state against these pre-established baselines, enabling rapid detection of deviations caused by unknown ransomware without requiring time-consuming analysis or signature updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where detection results, whether from signature matching or behavioral analysis, are fed back into the system to refine future detection parameters. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from both confirmed malware detections and false positives, improving its ability to quickly identify unknown ransomware variants by recognizing emerging patterns in real-time system behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If ransomware detection is delayed, then user access to antivirus tools is blocked, but quick detection requires complex monitoring of user behavior and system state

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed of ransomware detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of monitoring system
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs multi-functional monitoring components that simultaneously perform multiple tasks: collecting user behavior data, analyzing system state changes, comparing against known signatures, and detecting anomalies all through integrated modules. This universal approach allows quick detection of ransomware without requiring separate complex systems for each function, as the same infrastructure serves multiple detection purposes efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2750066B1System and method for detecting malware that interferes with a user interface
Publication Date: 2016.08.31 AO KASPERSKY LAB
  • EP2750066B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2750066B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2750066B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

System and method for detecting ransomware. A current user behavior pattern is monitored based on user input via a user input device. The user behavior is compared against a reference set of behavior patterns associated with user frustration with non-responsiveness of the user interface module. A current status pattern of the operating system is also monitored. The current status pattern is compared against a reference set of operating system status patterns associated with predefined ransomware behavior. In response to indicia of current user frustration with non-responsiveness of the user interface, and further in response to indicia of the current status pattern having a correlation to the predefined ransomware behavior, an indication of a positive detection of ransomware executing on the computer system is provided.