Methods and system for determining licensing/billing fees for computer security software
AssigneeTrend Micro Incorporated
InventorSutherland Stanton Blake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Value based licensing/billing methods and system for security software is provided, which use an effective vulnerability protection measure provided by a new or updated IPS filter deployed on host computer to determine the licensing/billing fee of the new or updated IPS filter over a billing period. The effective vulnerability protection measure is determined based on vulnerability and host attributes, and, in the embodiment of the invention, is based on a vulnerability time gap or time protected of the host computer.
Claims20
A computerized method for determining a billing fee for a security software, the method comprising:
- in a computer having a processor configured for:
- determining a vulnerability time gap for an asset during which the asset has been exposed to a vulnerability attack;
- the vulnerability time gap being measured from a time instance when the vulnerability attack has become known to a time instance when a security software for protecting against the vulnerability attack has been released or deployed;
- determining a period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack, measured from a time instance when the security software has been released to a time instance when the security software has been deployed;
- and
- determining the billing fee for the security software as being inversely proportional to the vulnerability time gap, and being proportional to the period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack.
A system for determining a billing fee for a security software, comprising:
- a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by the processor, causing the processor to:
- determine a vulnerability time gap for an asset during which the asset has been exposed to a vulnerability attack;
- the vulnerability time gap being measured from a time instance when the vulnerability attack has become known to a time instance when a security software for protecting against the vulnerability attack has been released or deployed;
- determine a period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack, measured from a time instance when the security software has been released to a time instance when the security software has been deployed;
- and
- determine the billing fee for the security software as being inversely proportional to the vulnerability time gap, and being proportional to the period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.