Machine learning-based method and system for detecting plaintext passwords

A system having a machine learning platform for mitigating a cybersecurity risk on a target computer resource asset that includes a plaintext password, the system comprising:

• a processor and a memory, for implementing:
• a target computer resource asset identifying agent arranged to identify the target computer resource asset on a computer network;
• a plaintext search agent arranged to search text in a configuration file of a computer resource on the target computer resource asset;
• a plaintext character analyzer including a convolutional neural network (CNN) having a plurality of layers arranged to receive, preprocess, and analyze the in the configuration file to generate a string of plaintext characters;
• a plaintext password predictor arranged to detect a potential plaintext password in the string of plaintext characters and determine a confidence score that indicates a likelihood the string of plaintext characters includes a plaintext password;
• and
• a remediation unit arranged to effectuate a remediation action based on the confidence score,
• wherein the remediation action includes encrypting the string of plaintext characters when the confidence score is equal to or greater than a first certainty level.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing cybersecurity risk mitigation program instructions for searching and analyzing computer resources in a target computer resource asset to detect and encrypt a plaintext password, the program instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform an operation comprising:

• identifying the target computer resource asset on a computer network;
• searching a computer resource on the target computer resource asset;
• preprocessing any text in the computer resource using a plaintext character analyzer including a convolutional neural network (CNN) having a plurality of layers to generate a string of plaintext characters;
• analyzing any text in the computer resource;
• determining a confidence score for the string of plaintext characters indicating a likelihood the string of plaintext characters includes a plaintext password;
• and
• effectuating a remediation action based on the confidence score,
• wherein the remediation action includes encrypting the string of plaintext characters when the confidence score is equal to or greater than a first certainty level.