Back to results
US 2011/0035800 A1Published application
Malicious advertisement management
AssigneeYahoo! Inc.
InventorFaizal Atcha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for managing malicious advertisements, including threats or risks posed by malicious advertisements or potentially malicious or risky advertisements. Methods are provided in which an advertisement is tested to determine behavioral characteristics at a non-active time and at an active time, and the two sets of characteristics are compared. If a difference is determined to exist, an action is taken that reflects a higher chance of the advertisement being malicious than if no difference was detected. Furthermore, the characteristics at a non-active time may be used in determining a degree of risk associated with an advertisement.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- using one or more computers, testing an advertisement at a non-active time to obtain a first set of information identifying a first set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, a non-active time being a time at which the advertisement is not available for serving to users;
- using one or more computers, storing the first set of information;
- using one or more computers, testing the advertisement at an active time to obtain a second set of information identifying a second set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, an active time being a time at which the advertisement is available for serving to users;
- using one or more computers, storing the second set of information;
- using one or more computers, comparing the first set of information with the second set of information to determine at least whether there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time;
- using one or more computers, storing a third set of information at least identifying the determination of at least whether there is a difference;
- and
- using one or more computers, if it is determined that there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time, then conducting at least one action reflecting a determination that the advertisement is more likely to be malicious than if it had been determined that there is not a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- one or more server computers connected to the Internet;
- and
- one or more databases connected to the one or more server computers;
- wherein the one or more server computers are for:
- testing the advertisement at a non-active time to obtain a first set of information identifying a first set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, a non-active time being a time at which the advertisement is not available for serving to users;
- storing the first set of information in at least one of the one or more databases;
- testing the advertisement at an active time to obtain a second set of information identifying a second set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, an active time being a time at which the advertisement is available for serving to users;
- storing the second set of information in at least one of the one or more databases;
- comparing the first set of information with the second set of information to determine at least whether there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time;
- storing a third set of information at least identifying the determination of at least whether there is a difference in at least one of the one or more databases;
- and
- if it is determined that there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time, then conducting at least one action reflecting a determination that the advertisement is more likely to be malicious than if it had been determined that there is not a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time.
9 more elements
A computer readable medium or media containing instructions for executing a method, the method comprising:
- using one or more computers, testing an advertisement at a non-active time to obtain a first set of information identifying a first set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, a non-active time being a time at which the advertisement is not available for serving to users;
- using one or more computers, storing the first set of information;
- using one or more computers, based at least on the first set of information, and prior to making the advertisement available for serving to users, determining a level of risk that the advertisement is malicious;
- using one or more computers, subjecting the advertisement to a degree of scrutiny as to whether the advertisement is malicious based at least on the determined level of risk;
- using one or more computers, testing the advertisement at an active time to obtain a second set of information identifying a second set of behavioral characteristics associated with the advertisement, an active time being a time at which the advertisement is available for serving to users;
- using one or more computers, storing the second set of information;
- using one or more computers, comparing the first set of information with the second set of information to determine at least whether there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time;
- using one or more computers, storing a third set of information at least identifying the determination of at least whether there is a difference;
- and
- using one or more computers, if it is determined that there is a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time, then conducting at least one action reflecting a determination that the advertisement is more likely to be malicious than if it had been determined that there is not a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time;
- wherein taking the at least one action comprises subjecting the advertisement to a greater degree of scrutiny regarding whether the advertisement is malicious than if it had been determined that there is not a difference between the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the non-active time and the behavioral characteristics of the advertisement at the active time.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.