Automated security incident handling in a dynamic environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10657469-B2
Application number	US-201414250789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

In a method for estimating a severity of a current security incident reported by a customer for the customer's computer system, a processor receives from one or more administrators for a plurality of prior security incidents reported by the customer, identifications of a respective plurality of actual severities for the plurality of prior security incidents. The processor estimates, based in part on the plurality of identified actual severities of the prior security incidents, a severity of the current security incident. The processor reports the estimated severity for the current security incident.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for taking an immediate responsive action to a current security incident, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving an incident report from a customer in a public cloud environment for a first virtual machine instance, the customer seeking an incident response from one or more administrators, the incident report identifying a current security incident affecting the first virtual machine instance;
receiving, from the one or more administrators, a plurality of incident information datasets respectively corresponding to a plurality of actual severities for a plurality of prior security incidents reported for the virtual machine instance and customer information collected prior to receiving the incident report;
generating a security score for the virtual machine instance based at least in part on:
the plurality of actual severities for the plurality of prior security incidents, wherein a high actual severity of a prior security incident supports an estimate of a high security score for the virtual machine instance,
the plurality of incident information datasets, wherein a basis for the incident report being from a third party image supports a high security score for the virtual machine instance, and
the customer information, wherein the customer being associated with a current customer engagement via an account representative supports a higher security score than the customer being associated with a web-based engagement by a new customer;

determining, by a processor, a severity level of the current security incident based on the security score for the virtual machine instance;
responsive to the security level indicating an immediate responsive action, shutting down the virtual machine instance while retaining a historical dataset of the security incidents for the virtual machine instance; and
reporting, to the one or more administrators, by the processor, the estimated severity level of the current security incident and the immediate responsive;
wherein:
the customer information is data available independent of the current security incident including: length of customer engagement and basis of billing schedule with the customer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the customer information further includes an extent of services provided to customer; and
the basis of billing schedule is a free trial.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the incident report is received as an email message reporting a potential security incident; and
the plurality of incident information datasets includes an e-mail domain of the e-mail message reporting the potential security incident.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the current security incident is based on one, or more, of the following: a security-service provider's image, a customer's own image, and a third party image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of prior security incidents are identified according to one, or more, of the following: an account, an account user, and a virtual machine instance.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
identifying the actual severity for the current security incident based on an outcome of the immediate responsive action to the current security incident.

7. A computer program product for taking an immediate responsive action to a current security incident, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:
first program instructions programmed to receive an incident report from a customer in a public cloud environment for a first virtual machine instance, the customer seeking an incident response from one or more administrators, the incident report identifying a current security incident affecting the first virtual machine instance;
second program instructions programmed to receive from the one or more administrators, a plurality of incident information datasets respectively corresponding to a plurality of actual severities for a plurality of prior security incidents reported for the virtual machine instance and customer information collected prior to receiving the incident report;
third program instructions programmed to estimate, by a processor, a severity of the current security incident by generating a security score for the virtual machine instance based at least in part on:
the plurality of actual severities for the plurality of prior security incidents, wherein a high actual severity of a prior security incident supports an estimate of a high security score for the virtual machine instance,
the plurality of incident information datasets, wherein a basis for the incident report being from a third party image supports a high security score for the virtual machine instance, and
the customer information, wherein the customer being associated with a current customer engagement via an account representative supports a higher security score than the customer being associated with a web-based engagement by a new customer;

fourth program instructions programmed to determine a severity level of the current security incident based on the security score for the virtual machine instance;
fifth program instructions programmed to, responsive to the security level indicating an immediate responsive action, shut down the virtual machine instance while retaining a historical dataset of the security incidents for the virtual machine instance; and
sixth program instructions programmed to report, to the one or more administrators, by the processor, the estimated severity level of the current security incident and the immediate responsive action;
wherein:
the customer information is data available independent of the current security incident including: length of customer engagement and basis of billing schedule with the customer.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein:
the customer information further includes an extent of services provided to customer; and
the basis of billing schedule is a free trial.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein:
the incident report is received as an email message reporting a potential security incident; and
the plurality of incident information datasets includes an e-mail domain of the e-mail message reporting the potential security incident.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the current security incident is based on one, or more, of the following: a security-service provider's image, a customer's own image, and a third party image.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the plurality of prior security incidents are identified according to one, or more, of the following: an account, an account user, and a virtual machine instance.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the computer readable storage medium further has stored thereon:
seventh program instructions programmed to identify the actual severity for the current security incident based on an outcome of the immediate responsive action to the current security incident.

13. A computer system for taking an immediate responsive action to a current security incident, the computer system comprising:
a processor(s) set; and
a computer readable storage medium;
wherein:
the processor set is structured, located, connected and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and
the program instructions include:
first program instructions programmed to receive an incident report from a customer in a public cloud environment for a first virtual machine instance, the customer seeking an incident response from one or more administrators, t

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bade Steven A
• Hinton Heather M
• Readshaw Neil I
• Tummalapenta Srinivas B

Classifications

• G06Q10/063 Primary

  Operations research, analysis or management · CPC title