Patent ID: 9203850
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for detecting a private browsing mode, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: determining that a browser application is operating as a foreground application on the computing device; detecting computing activity occurring on the computing device while the browser application is operating as the foreground application, wherein detecting the computing activity comprises determining that a level of activity inside a CPU of the computing device has exceeded a CPU activity threshold; determining that no new entry has been made in a browser history of the browser application; incrementing a certainty level score that identifies a level of certainty that the browser application is executing in the private browsing mode in response to the browser application operating as the foreground application, the level of activity inside the CPU exceeding the CPU activity threshold, and no new entry having been made in the browser history; determining that the certainty level score has exceeded a certainty threshold such that the certainty level score indicates that the browser application is likely to be executing in the private browsing mode; and performing a security action in response to determining that the browser application is likely to be executing in the private browsing mode.