US 11,706,242 B2Granted

System and method for performing remote security assessment of firewalled computer

AssigneeQualys, Inc.

InventorsWissam Ali-Ahmad, Wolfgang Kandek, Holger Kruse, Vikas Dewan, Khair-ed-dine Mazboudi, Ganesh Jampani, Kenneth K. Okumura

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Abstract

Methods and systems for scanning an endpoint terminal across an open computer network are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a scanner engine in a computer server in communication with an open computer network, and establishing a secure connection across the open computer network between the scanner engine and a scanner agent installed on the endpoint terminal in communication with the open computer network. Commands for collecting data regarding the endpoint terminal are sent from the scanner engine across the secure connection to the scanner agent. The scanner engine then receives the collected data from the scanner agent across the secure connection, analyzes the data to assess a current posture of the endpoint terminal, and determines any updates for the endpoint terminal from the analysis. Updates are sent across the secure connection to the scanner agent for installation on the endpoint terminal, and the secure connection may then be terminated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

establishing a secure connection between a scanner engine associated with a scanner server and a scanner client associated with an endpoint device, wherein the scanner client communicates with an Internet application executable by the endpoint device, wherein the scanner server and the endpoint device are in communication with one or more networks, and wherein the scanner client comprises a thin scanner client;
transmitting, from the scanner server to the scanner client, update data for updating the scanner client;
transmitting, from the scanner engine to the scanner client and via the secure connection, commands for collecting, by the scanner client, data associated with the endpoint device;
receiving, at the scanner engine from the scanner client and via the secure connection, the data associated with the endpoint device, wherein the data associated with the endpoint device is collected using the scanner client;
analyzing the data associated with the endpoint device using the scanner engine to assess a security vulnerability state of the endpoint device;
identifying an update for the endpoint device based on analyzing the data associated with the endpoint device;
and
transmitting the update from the scanner engine to the endpoint device,
wherein the scanner server is located remotely from the endpoint device.

6 more elements

A system comprising:

a scanner server in communication with one or more networks, wherein the scanner server is associated with a scanner engine for conducting a scan of an endpoint device, wherein the endpoint device executes an Internet application and is in communication with the one or more networks, and wherein conducting the scan of the endpoint device comprises:
establishing a connection between the scanner engine associated with the scanner server and a scanner client associated with the endpoint device, or between the scanner server and the endpoint device;
transmitting, from the scanner server to the scanner client, update data for updating the scanner client;
transmitting, from the scanner server to the endpoint device via the connection, commands for collecting, by the scanner client, data associated with the endpoint device;
receiving, at the scanner server and from the endpoint device via the connection, the data associated with the endpoint device;
analyzing the data associated with the endpoint device using the scanner server to assess a security state of the endpoint device;
identifying an update for the endpoint device based on analyzing the data associated with the endpoint device;
and
transmitting the update from the scanner server to the endpoint device,
wherein the scanner server is located remotely from the endpoint device.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/409,600Filed 23 Aug 2021 · continuation
Priority: 14 Aug 2009
Published: US 2021/0385243 A19 Dec 2021
Granted: 18 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 63/1433
For detecting or protecting against malicious traffic: vulnerability analysis
G06F 3/048
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: interaction techniques based on graphical…
H04L 63/0281
For separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls: proxies
H04L 63/1408
For detecting or protecting against malicious traffic: by monitoring network traffic

Family

Application12/541,869Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Aug 2009
Application13/482,531Parent of this continuation · filed 29 May 2012
US 8,281,396 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Oct 2012
Application14/584,876Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Dec 2014
US 8,925,093 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2014
Application15/250,300Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Aug 2016
US 9,432,392 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Aug 2016
Application16/024,726Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jun 2018
US 10,015,187 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jul 2018
Application16/872,067Parent of this continuation · filed 11 May 2020
US 10,652,268 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 12 May 2020
US 2021/0385243 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Dec 2021
US 11,102,234 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2010/0175134 A1Published application
US 2012/0233700 A1Published application
US 2015/0281269 A1Published application
US 2017/0180409 A1Published application
US 2018/0324205 A1Published application
US 2020/0274896 A1Published application
US 11,706,242 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.