Security controls
Assignee1E Limited
InventorsRichard THRELKELD, Ripal VAIDYA, Osama AL-HASSANI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network of computers has a network management system which stores metadata comprising at least the identities of software present on computers of the network. A computer of the network runs a monitoring program which accesses the metadata stored in the network management system to provide a measure of the extent to which one or more of a plurality of security controls are implemented in the network. The security controls are the application of Operating System patches, the application of third party software patches, allowing only applications on a list of approved software to run, and limiting administrator privileges. The measure comprises risk ratings dependent on the extents to which the controls are implemented.
Claims17
A method of monitoring a network of computers, the network having a network management system which stores metadata and other data relating to software run on computers of the network, the method comprising:
- running on a computer of the network a monitoring program which accesses the metadata and other data stored in the network management system to provide a measure of the extent to which one or more of a plurality of security controls are implemented in the network, wherein the security controls include:
- application of Operating System patches;
- application of third party software patches;
- allowing only applications on a list of approved software to run;
- and
- limiting administrator privileges;
- and
- wherein the measure comprises risk ratings dependent on the extents to which the controls are implemented.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a method for monitoring on a network of computers the network having a network management system which stores metadata and other data relating to software present on computers of the network, the method comprising:
- accessing the metadata and other data stored in the network management system to provide a measure of the extent to which one or more of a plurality of security controls are implemented in the network, wherein the security controls include:
- application of Operating System patches;
- application of third party software patches;
- allowing only applications on a list of approved software to run;
- and
- limiting administrator privileges;
- and
- wherein the measure comprises risk ratings dependent on the extents to which the controls are implemented.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.