Assessing social risk due to exposure from linked contacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424026-B2
Application number	US-201313783377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2011
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

An approach is provided in which a risk assessment is performed that accesses the risk to a user of an information handling system due to the user's link to a social network contact. Risky action values is received with the values corresponding to the social network contact. A risk level is calculated with the risk level corresponding to one or more of the risky action values. A preventative security action is then performed based on the calculated risk level. In another embodiment, an approach is provided in which the potential risks posed by a user are transmitted to the user's social network contacts. In this approach, potentially risky actions that are performed by the user are detected. Risky action values are identified that correspond to the detected potentially risky actions. The risky action values are then transmitted to the user's social network contacts over a computer network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first user network transactions data set comprising data tracked by a tracking agent installed on one or more devices of a first user, and including information indicative of one or more communication network transactions participated in by one or more of the devices of the first user;
determining, by machine logic, that the first user network transactions data set indicates that the first user used an unsecured wireless network;
receiving, from a second user, a request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user;
responsive to the receipt of the request and further responsive to the determination that the first user network transactions data set indicates that the first user used an unsecured wireless network, communicating in human understandable form and format to the second user that the first user engages in risky transactions;
receiving, from the second user, risk feedback data comprising information indicative of one or more preventative security actions performed by the second user in response to the communication that the first user engages in risky transactions; and
responsive to the receipt of the risk feedback data, receiving, from the first user, one or more risk avoidance measures performed by the first user to mitigate risk associated with the first user's use of the unsecured wireless network, wherein the one or more risk avoidance measures include installing a routine that disables unsecured wireless network access on one or more of the devices used by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user is a social media contact of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user comprises a request to participate in the communication network transaction on a social media platform used by the first user and the second user.

4. A method comprising:
receiving a first user network transactions data set comprising data tracked by a tracking agent installed on one or more devices of a first user, and including information indicative of one or more communication network transactions participated in by one or more of the devices of the first user;
determining, by machine logic, that the first user network transactions data set indicates that the first user engaged in high risk behavior related to a password;
receiving, from a second user, a request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user;
responsive to the receipt of the request and further responsive to the determination that the first user network transactions data set indicates that the first user engaged in high risk behavior related to a password, communicating in human understandable form and format to the second user that the first user engages in risky transactions;
receiving, from the second user, risk feedback data comprising information indicative of one or more preventative security actions performed by the second user in response to the communication that the first user engages in risky transactions; and
responsive to the receipt of the risk feedback data, receiving, from the first user, one or more risk avoidance measures performed by the first user to mitigate risk associated with the first user's behavior related to the password, wherein the one or more risk avoidance measures include generating a new password.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first user is a social media contact of the second user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user comprises a request to participate in the communication network transaction on a social media platform used by the first user and the second user.

7. A method comprising:
receiving a first user network transactions data set comprising data tracked by a tracking agent installed on one or more devices of a first user, and including information indicative of one or more communication network transactions participated in by one or more of the devices of the first user;
determining, by machine logic, that the first user network transactions data set indicates that the first user engaged in high risk behavior related to one or more visits to one or more high risk websites;
receiving, from a second user, a request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user;
responsive to the receipt of the request and further responsive to the determination that the first user network transactions data set indicates that that the first user engaged in high risk behavior related to the one or more visits to the one or more high risk websites, communicating in human understandable form and format to the second user that the first user engages in risky transactions;
receiving, from the second user, risk feedback data comprising information indicative of one or more preventative security actions performed by the second user in response to the communication that the first user engages in risky transactions; and
responsive to the receipt of the risk feedback data, receiving, from the first user, one or more risk avoidance measures performed by the first user to mitigate risk associated with the first user's visits to high risk websites, wherein the one or more risk avoidance measures include installing an application that filters websites on or more of the devices used by the first user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first user is a social media contact of the second user.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the request to participate in a communication network transaction involving the first user comprises a request to participate in the communication network transaction on a social media platform used by the first user and the second user.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bhola Saurabh
• Crosbie Mark
• Denner Gary
• Gurney Daniel C
• Jain Rohit

Classifications

• G06Q10/40 Primary

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L63/1433 Primary

  Vulnerability analysis · CPC title

• H04W12/00505

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06Q50/01 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04W12/67

  Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles · CPC title