Patent ID: 8776196
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically detecting and preventing phishing attacks, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: maintaining a credentials store for a user of the computing device, wherein the credentials store identifies: detecting an attempt by the user to enter the same credentials that are associated with the known-legitimate website into a new website; determining that the new website is not associated with the credentials in the credentials store; after determining that the new website is not associated with the credentials in the credentials store, confirming that the new website potentially represents a phishing attack based on an evaluation of at least one characteristic of the website's registration with a hosting service; after confirming that the new website potentially represents a phishing attack, and prior to allowing the credentials to pass to the new website, automatically warning the user that the new website potentially represents an attempt to phish the credentials associated with the known-legitimate website from the user; upon warning the user, detecting a predetermined number of additional attempts by the user to enter the same credentials that are associated with the known-legitimate website into the new website; and upon detecting the predetermined number of additional attempts: