Patent ID: 9160766
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for protecting organizations against spear phishing attacks, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: searching a plurality of websites for a plurality of user profiles belonging to a plurality of users who are affiliated with an organization and who have access to at least one privileged computing resource controlled by the organization; retrieving, from the plurality of user profiles, personal information describing the plurality of users; determining, based on the personal information, that a portion of the plurality of user profiles belongs to an individual user with access to the privileged computing resource controlled by the organization; identifying at least one phishing attack risk factor in the portion of the plurality of user profiles that belongs to the individual user; assessing, based at least in part on the phishing attack risk factor, a risk of a phishing attack targeting the individual user to illegitimately gain access to the privileged computing resource.