Patent ID: 8490190
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring activity in a network, the method comprising: monitoring a communication associated with a messaging service, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring for connection information associated with a user account associated with a host computing device via the monitored communication, the connection information permitting at least one of a security application and a security system associated with a separate account to perform a separate login to the messaging service using the connection information from the monitored communication, the separate account being different from the user account, the separate account and the user account both being logged in to the messaging server, the user account being logged in to the messaging service from the host computing device, and the separate account being logged in to the messaging service from the security application, the security application residing within the host computing device or within a separate security device in communication with the host computing device over a network; observing suspicious activity associated with the host computing device; determining whether the observed suspicious activity exceeds a specified threshold; and sending a challenge to the host computing device using the messaging service in the event that the observed suspicious activity exceeds the specified threshold, wherein the challenge is based at least in part on the observed suspicious activity, and wherein a response from a user to the challenge via the host computing device determines whether the user using the host computing device is in control of the user account.