Network application security question detection and modification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11196774-B2
Application number	US-202016809962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for detecting a network application security question is provided. The method includes receiving permission to access social media sources of a user. The social media sources and Internet based sources of the user are monitored in response to receiving the permission and associated data is generated and stored. A request for access to a secure account of the user is received and a list of security questions is presented to the user. The list of security questions is analyzed with respect to the data and each security question is ranked. An answer to a question of the list is received and analyzed and security attributes of the answer with respect to a potential malicious attempt to provide a predicted answer to for access to secure account are determined. A resulting security process with respect to enabling access to the secure account is executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network application security question detection method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a hardware device from a user, permission to access social media sources of said user;
monitoring, by said processor in response to said receiving said permission, said social media sources and Internet based sources of said user;

generating, by said processor, data representing results of said monitoring;
storing, by said processor, said data within a specialized database;
receiving, by said processor from said user, a request for access to a secure account of said user;
presenting, by said processor to said user in response to said request, a list of security questions associated with said user;
analyzing, by said processor, said list of security questions with respect to said data;
ranking, by said processor based on results of said analyzing said list, each security question of said list of security questions;
receiving, by said processor in response to results of said ranking, an answer to a first question of said list of security questions;
analyzing, by said processor, said answer with respect to said results of said analyzing said list;
determining, by said processor based on said results of said analyzing said answer, security attributes of said answer to said first question with respect to a potential malicious attempt to provide a predicted answer to said first question for access to said secure account of said user; and
executing, by said processor based on said security attributes, a security process with respect to enabling access to said secure account of said user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said security attributes of said answer indicate that said answer to said first question is not related to said potential malicious attempt, and wherein said executing said security process comprises:
enabling, based on said answer, said access to said secure account of said user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said security attributes of said answer indicate that said answer to said first question is related to said potential malicious attempt, and wherein said executing said security process comprises:
generating, based on said data, additional security questions associated with preventing said potential malicious attempt for access to said secure account of said user;
presenting, said additional security questions to said user;
receiving, by said processor in response to presenting said additional security questions, a first answer to a question of said additional security questions; and
enabling, based on said first answer, said access to said secure account of said user.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by said processor, that a specified time period has elapsed since said enabling;
further monitoring, by said processor, said social media sources and Internet based sources of said user;
further analyzing, by said processor, said answer with respect to said first question and results of said further monitoring; and
additionally determining, by said processor based on said results of said further analyzing, if said answer and said first question are currently applicable to said enabling access to said secure account of said user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein results of said additionally determining indicated that said answer and said first question are currently applicable to said enabling access to said secure account of said user, and wherein said method further comprises:
enabling, by said processor based on said answer, said answer and said first question to enable said access to said secure account of said user.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein results of said additionally determining indicated that said answer and said first question are not currently applicable to said enabling access to said secure account of said user, and wherein said method further comprises:
generating, by said processor, an additional security question and answer associated with enabling said access to said secure account of said user; and
storing, by said processor within said specialized database, said additional security question and answer for future use.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein list of security questions are retrieved from a preconfigured database of security questions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein list of security questions are generated and stored by said user prior to executing said network application security question protection method.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the control hardware, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement: said receiving said permission, said monitoring, said generating, said storing, said receiving said request, said presenting, said analyzing said list, said ranking, said receiving said answer, said analyzing said answer, said determining, and said executing.

10. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a processor of hardware device implements a network application security question detection method, said method comprising:
receiving, by said processor from a user, permission to access social media sources of said user;
monitoring, by said processor in response to said receiving said permission, said social media sources and Internet based sources of said user;
generating, by said processor, data representing results of said monitoring;
storing, by said processor, said data within a specialized database;
receiving, by said processor from said user, a request for access to a secure account of said user;
presenting, by said processor to said user in response to said request, a list of security questions associated with said user;
analyzing, by said processor, said list of security questions with respect to said data;
ranking, by said processor based on results of said analyzing said list, each security question of said list of security questions;
receiving, by said processor in response to results of said ranking, an answer to a first question of said list of security questions;
analyzing, by said processor, said answer with respect to said results of said analyzing said list;
determining, by said processor based on said results of said analyzing said answer, security attributes of said answer to said first question with respect to a potential malicious attempt to provide a predicted answer to said first question for access to said secure account of said user; and
executing, by said processor based on said security attributes, a security process with respect to enabling access to said secure account of said user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein said security attributes of said answer indicate that said answer to said first question is not related to said potential malicious attempt, and wherein said executing said security process comprises:
enabling, based on said answer, said access to said secure account of said user.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein said security attributes of said answer indicate that said answer to said first question is related to said potential malicious attempt, and wherein said executing said security process comprises:
generating, based on said data, additional security questions associated with preventing said potential malicious attempt for access to said secure account of said user;
presenting, said addi

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Wei Yi-Hsiu
• Chang David Yu
• Chao Ching-Yun

Classifications

• G06F2221/2103

  Challenge-response · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/1433

  Vulnerability analysis · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04L63/105

  Multiple levels of security · CPC title