Patent ID: 9473524
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method of computer vulnerability discovery comprising: determining a plurality of researcher computers that are to be provided access to control logic, wherein a researcher computer of the plurality of researcher computers is a computer operated by, or to be operated by, an invited researcher, wherein an invited researcher is a person or organization selected to participate in one or more computer vulnerability research projects directed to researching and/or identifying computer vulnerabilities of one or more target systems comprising one or more network component and/or one or more computer component, wherein the control logic is capable of monitoring at least some communications between the researcher computer and the one or more target systems; tracking assignment of a particular computer vulnerability research project of the one or more computer vulnerability research projects to an assigned researcher computer, to be operated by the invited researcher assigned to the particular computer vulnerability research project, wherein the particular computer vulnerability research project relates to a particular target system; providing the assigned researcher computer with access credentials for the control logic and/or the particular target system; establishing a communications path between the control logic and the particular target system; monitoring networked data communications between the researcher computer and the particular target system, wherein the networked data communications include communications that are usable to identify a candidate vulnerability of the particular target system; and determining a candidate vulnerability of the particular target system based on a report received from the assigned resulting from the assigned researcher's use of the assigned researcher computer to interact with the particular target system.