Patent Publication Number: US-11050780-B2

Title: Methods and systems for managing security in computing networks

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to computing systems, and more particularly, to various embodiments for managing security in computing networks. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In complex computing networks and systems, such as large enterprise networks with many independently operating business units, handling alerts generated by security systems (or controls) can be extremely challenging due to the wide range and complexity of activity that occurs. For instance, an employee performing security scanning of internal or external applications or devices as part of their job may generate many security alerts that can safely be ignored (i.e., false positives). As a result, accurately performing security analytics on alerting from security systems is often difficult. 
     Traditional “whitelisting” of known false positives (e.g., “safe” devices) is difficult to validate and maintain accurately. Additionally, traditional whitelisting often results in significant vulnerabilities by having a broad acceptance of security alerts from whitelisted devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various embodiments for managing computing network security by one or more processors are described. In one embodiment, by way of example only, a method for managing computing network security, again by one or more processors, is provided. A signal that is representative of authorized anomalous behavior is received. The signal includes at least one of an identity and a type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. A security incident is detected. If the detected security incident corresponds to the authorized anomalous behavior, the generating of an alert in response to the detecting of the security incident is suppressed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting an exemplary computing node according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an additional block diagram depicting an exemplary cloud computing environment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an additional block diagram depicting abstraction model layers according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram example computing environment according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart diagram of an exemplary method for managing computing network security according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     As discussed above, in complex computing networks and systems, such as large enterprise networks with many independently operating business units, handling alerts generated by security systems (or controls) can be extremely challenging due to the wide range and complexity of activity that occurs. Security alerts are often triggered for “ignorable” threats (i.e., false positives), which makes accurately performing security analytics on alerting from security systems difficult. For example, many security alerts may be generated by an authorized employee performing security scanning of internal or external applications or devices as part of their job. 
     Traditional “whitelisting” of known false positives, such as whitelisting particular vulnerability scanners, is difficult to validate and maintain accurately. On one hand, considerable resources are often utilized by investigating false security alerts. At the same time, traditional whitelisting often results in significant vulnerabilities by having a broad acceptance of security alerts from whitelisted devices. In other words, whitelisting often results in somewhat permanent, unneeded “holes” or “gaps” in some security controls, which results in reduced network security. 
     To address these needs, some embodiments described herein provide methods and systems for managing computing network security in which an authorized application&#39;s (and/or user&#39;s or device&#39;s) behavior and/or activity is pre-defined and associated with the application so that security alerts attributed to the activity are ignored (and/or suppressed) for the authorized scope of operation (e.g., for only the authorized scope of operation). 
     For example, in some embodiments, an endpoint agent, or application interface within an application, signals (or provides or sends a signal to) a central service (or database or security system) when an (authorized) application is about to undertake an (authorized) activity that may trigger an erroneous security alert. In some embodiments, the signal(s) is representative (or a representation) of and/or describes authorized anomalous behavior that may be observed by various security controls and includes any appropriate metadata with respect to the anomalous behavior (e.g., an identity of the entity initiating the behavior, the type of activity, the time period the anomalous behavior may occur, etc.). 
     The central service maintains the “current state” of both the list of devices (and/or some form of identification of an entity) that are undertaking false security alert-causing activity and the scope of their allowed activity. In some embodiments, the signal includes (and/or describes) a time frame in which the activity will take place and/or is authorized. When a security alert is generated, the central service is queried to determine if the observed manifested behavior of the specific application (or other entity) is authorized (perhaps at the specific time) to determine if the security alert is valid (and should be investigated and/or rectified) or as a result of an authorized activity. 
     For example, a signal may be received (and/or generated) that indicates that port scanning warnings from a particular device (e.g., 9.1.2.3) can be safely ignored for the next 10 minutes. After such a signal is received, any security monitoring, control, or analytics system (or personnel) that detects a security alert on that device may query the central system to determine whether or not that particular security alert can be safely ignored or suppressed. 
     As a result, the ability of security-related resources (e.g., personnel) that are responsible for monitoring network activity to focus on high priority issues is improved. That is, because of the signal received regarding the potential security threat (or incident), security-related resources are less likely to be wasted investigating, for example, someone performing a valid, authorized vulnerability scan from a laptop computer (or some other computing device). By eliminating or knowingly ignoring alerts created by authorized activities, costs related to network security may be significantly reduced. 
     In particular, in some embodiments, a method for managing computing network security by one or more processors is provided. A signal that is representative of and/or describes authorized anomalous behavior (or activity), which may be detected as a potential security incident, is received. The description includes, for example, a source identity and/or a type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. A security incident is detected. If the detected security incident corresponds to the description of the authorized anomalous behavior, the generating of an alert in response to the detecting of the security incident is suppressed. If the detected security incident does not correspond to the authorized anomalous behavior, an alert may be caused to be generated in response to the detecting of the security incident. 
     The description of the authorized anomalous behavior may include a time frame associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. If the detecting of the security incident occurs within the time frame, the generating of the alert may be suppressed. If the detecting of the security incident does not occur within the time frame, the alert may be caused to be generated. 
     The detecting of the security incident may include determining an identity and a type of activity associated with the detected security incident. The identity and type of activity associated with the detected security incident may be compared to the identity and type of activity associated with the description of a security incident corresponding to the authorized anomalous behavior. The identity associated with the description of a security incident corresponding to an authorized activity may include, for example, an application name or a network address. 
     It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environment, such as cellular networks, now known or later developed. 
     Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four deployment models. 
     Characteristics are as follows: 
     On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with the service&#39;s provider. 
     Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs). 
     Resource pooling: the provider&#39;s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumer generally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter). 
     Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time. 
     Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service. 
     Service Models are as follows: 
     Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider&#39;s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings. 
     Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations. 
     Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls). 
     Deployment Models are as follows: 
     Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises. 
     Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises. 
     Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services. 
     Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds). 
     A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus on statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising a network of interconnected nodes. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a schematic of an example of a cloud computing node is shown. Cloud computing node  10  is only one example of a suitable cloud computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the invention described herein. Regardless, cloud computing node  10  (and/or one or more processors described herein) is capable of being implemented and/or performing (or causing or enabling) any of the functionality set forth hereinabove. 
     In cloud computing node  10  there is a computer system/server  12 , which is operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with computer system/server  12  include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframe computer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like. 
     Computer system/server  12  may be described in the general context of computer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer system. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and so on that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer system/server  12  may be practiced in distributed cloud computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer system storage media including memory storage devices. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , computer system/server  12  in cloud computing node  10  is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of computer system/server  12  may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units  16 , a system memory  28 , and a bus  18  that couples various system components including system memory  28  to processor  16 . 
     Bus  18  represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) bus. 
     Computer system/server  12  typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. Such media may be any available media that is accessible by computer system/server  12 , and it includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. 
     System memory  28  can include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM)  30  and/or cache memory  32 . Computer system/server  12  may further include other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, storage system  34  can be provided for reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided. In such instances, each can be connected to bus  18  by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below, system memory  28  may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out the functions of embodiments of the invention. 
     Program/utility  40 , having a set (at least one) of program modules  42 , may be stored in system memory  28  by way of example, and not limitation, as well as an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data or some combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networking environment. Program modules  42  generally carry out the functions and/or methodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein. 
     Computer system/server  12  may also communicate with one or more external devices  14  such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display  24 , etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computer system/server  12 ; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable computer system/server  12  to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output (I/O) interfaces  22 . Still yet, computer system/server  12  can communicate with one or more networks such as a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet) via network adapter  20 . As depicted, network adapter  20  communicates with the other components of computer system/server  12  via bus  18 . It should be understood that although not shown, other hardware and/or software components could be used in conjunction with computer system/server  12 . Examples include, but are not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc. 
     In the context of the present invention, and as one of skill in the art will appreciate, various components depicted in  FIG. 1  may be located in, for example, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, mobile electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, PDAs, etc.), minicomputer systems, mainframe computer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like. For example, some of the processing and data storage capabilities associated with mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments may take place locally via local processing components, while the same components are connected via a network to remotely located, distributed computing data processing and storage components to accomplish various purposes of the present invention. Again, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the present illustration is intended to convey only a subset of what may be an entire connected network of distributed computing components that accomplish various inventive aspects collectively. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , illustrative cloud computing environment  50  is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment  50  comprises one or more cloud computing nodes  10  with which local computing devices used by cloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA) or cellular telephone  54 A, desktop computer  54 B, laptop computer  54 C, and/or automobile computer system  54 N. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , nodes  10  may communicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment  50  to offer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computing device. It is understood that the types of computing devices  54 A-N shown in  FIG. 2  are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes  10  and cloud computing environment  50  can communicate with any type of computerized device over any type of network and/or network addressable connection (e.g., using a web browser). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a set of functional abstraction layers provided by cloud computing environment  50  ( FIG. 2 ) is shown. It should be understood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shown in  FIG. 3  are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers and corresponding functions are provided: 
     Device layer  55  includes physical and/or virtual devices, embedded with and/or standalone electronics, sensors, actuators, and other objects to perform various tasks in a cloud computing environment  50 . Each of the devices in the device layer  55  incorporates networking capability to other functional abstraction layers such that information obtained from the devices may be provided thereto, and/or information from the other abstraction layers may be provided to the devices. In one embodiment, the various devices inclusive of the device layer  55  may incorporate a network of entities collectively known as the “internet of things” (IoT). Such a network of entities allows for intercommunication, collection, and dissemination of data to accomplish a great variety of purposes, as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate. 
     Device layer  55  as shown includes sensor  52 , actuator  53 , “learning” thermostat  56  with integrated processing, sensor, and networking electronics, camera  57 , controllable household outlet/receptacle  58 , and controllable electrical switch  59  as shown. Other possible devices may include, but are not limited to, various additional sensor devices, networking devices, electronics devices (such as a remote control device), additional actuator devices, so called “smart” appliances such as a refrigerator or washer/dryer, and a wide variety of other possible interconnected objects. 
     Hardware and software layer  60  includes hardware and software components. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes  61 ; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers  62 ; servers  63 ; blade servers  64 ; storage devices  65 ; and networks and networking components  66 . In some embodiments, software components include network application server software  67  and database software  68 . 
     Virtualization layer  70  provides an abstraction layer from which the following examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers  71 ; virtual storage  72 ; virtual networks  73 , including virtual private networks; virtual applications and operating systems  74 ; and virtual clients  75 . 
     In one example, management layer  80  may provide the functions described below. Resource provisioning  81  provides dynamic procurement of computing resources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing  82  provides cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of these resources. In one example, these resources may comprise application software licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloud consumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources. User portal  83  provides access to the cloud computing environment for consumers and system administrators. Service level management  84  provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such that required service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment  85  provides pre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA. 
     Workloads layer  90  provides examples of functionality for which the cloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads and functions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping and navigation  91 ; software development and lifecycle management  92 ; virtual classroom education delivery  93 ; data analytics processing  94 ; transaction processing  95 ; and, in the context of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, various workloads and functions  96  for managing computing network (or system) security as described herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the workloads and functions  96  for managing computing network (or system) security may also work in conjunction with other portions of the various abstractions layers, such as those in hardware and software  60 , virtualization  70 , management  80 , and other workloads  90  (such as data analytics processing  94 , for example) to accomplish the various purposes of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention. 
     As previously mentioned, some embodiments described herein provide methods and systems for managing computing network security in which an authorized application&#39;s (and/or user&#39;s) behavior and/or activity is pre-defined and associated with the application so that security alerts attributed to the activity are ignored (and/or suppressed) for the authorized scope of operation (e.g., for only the authorized scope of operation). 
     In particular, in some embodiments, a method, by one or more processors, for managing computing network security is provided. A signal representative of authorized anomalous behavior is received. The signal includes at least one of an identity and a type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. A security incident is detected. If the detected security incident corresponds to the authorized anomalous behavior, the generating of an alert in response to the detecting of the security incident is suppressed. If the detected security incident does not correspond to the authorized anomalous behavior, an alert may be caused to be generated in response to the detecting of the security incident. 
     The signal may also include a time frame associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. If the detecting of the security incident occurs within the time frame, the generating of the alert may be suppressed. If the detecting of the security incident does not occur within the time frame, the alert may be caused to be generated. 
     The detecting of the security incident may include determining at least one of an identity and a type of activity associated with the detected security incident, and the at least one of the identity and the type of activity associated with the detected security incident may be compared to the at least one of the identity and the type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. The identity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior comprises at least one of an application name or identifier, a network address or identifier, or a combination thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a simplified illustration of a computing environment (or network)  400 , in accordance with some aspects of the present invention, is shown. The network  400  includes a central service component  402 , a database  404 , a security component (or sensor)  406  that is monitored by, for example, a threat analyst (or other personnel)  408 , and endpoints  410  and  412  that include endpoint agent  414  and endpoint application  416 , respectively. The central service component  402 , the database  404 , the security component  406 , and the endpoints  410  and  412  may be implemented using and/or include any suitable computing device, such as those described above. 
     Still referring to the example shown in  FIG. 4 , the endpoint agent  414  within endpoint  410  and the endpoint application  416  within endpoint  412  generate and send signals to the central service component  402  when an authorized activity that may trigger security alerts (which can be ignored or suppressed) is scheduled and/or is about to be undertaken/performed (i.e., by endpoint  410  and/or  412 , respectively). The signals may be representative of and/or describe authorized anomalous behavior and an associated metadata description. In some embodiments, the signals include an “identification” component (e.g., device or application name, network address, application name, user name, etc.) and a “behavior activity” component (e.g., describing the observable behavior associated with the activity that is to be performed). In some embodiments, the signals also include a “time” component, such as a time frame (or window) in which the activity will be performed (or at least initiated) and/or is authorized. 
     The central service component  402  receives the signals and stores them (and/or the included data/description/information) within database  404 . In some embodiments, the central service component  402  may also compare the information received in the signals to a predefined list of authorized endpoints, devices, applications, etc. and activities associated therewith (i.e., a list of devices from which such signals are considered authorized and/or expected and/or a list of behaviors which are considered authorized and/or expected.). In the event that the signal is determined to be from an unauthorized endpoint, the signal may not be stored in the database and/or an appropriate security alert may be generated and/or sent to appropriate personnel. 
     When endpoint  410  and/or endpoint  412  initiates the activity in question, the action is detected by the security component  406  and/or the threat analyst  408  as a security incident (e.g., the detection of anomalous behavior by the security system). A security alert (or notification) may then be generated (or initiated) (e.g., by the security system). An inquiry regarding the detected activity is sent to the central service component  402 , which searches the database  404  to determine if the manifested behavior of the specific application (or other entity) is authorized (perhaps at the specific time) to determine if the security alert is valid (and should be investigated and/or rectified) or pertains to authorized activity. That is, the database  404  is searched for a signal (and/or associated data) pertaining to the detected activity (e.g., the identity associated with the activity, the type of activity, the time at which the activity is being performed, and/or the type of security alert that is created). 
     If the detected activity is determined to be authorized (e.g., a signal regarding the activity was previously sent to the central service component  402  and/or stored on the database  404 ), the security alert is suppressed or ceased, or perhaps prevented from being generated altogether in some embodiments. If the detected activity is determined to be unauthorized (e.g., an appropriate, authorized signal regarding the activity was not previously sent to the central service component  402  and/or stored on the database  404 ), the security alert is allowed to continue and/or is not suppressed or cancelled (or in cases in which a security is not generated before the database  404  is searched for an appropriate signal, a security alert is then generated). In some embodiments (e.g., those utilizing the time component), if the activity in question is first detected (and/or initiated) within the indicated time frame but continues beyond the time frame indicated (i.e., after the time which the activity was to end), a security alert is generated. In situations in which a security alert is generated and/or not suppressed, a notification (e.g., a message) may be sent to appropriate personnel and/or systems so that the activity in question may be investigated and/or rectified. 
     As a simple example, a signal may be received (and/or generated) that indicates that port scanning warnings from a particular device can be safely ignored for the next 10 minutes. After such a signal is received, any security monitoring, control, or analytics system (or personnel) that detects a security alert on that device may query the central system (and/or the database) to determine whether or not that particular security alert can be safely ignored or suppressed. As a result, the likelihood that any resources will be wasted on investigating authorized activities is reduced, while minimizing any potential security “gaps.” 
     In some embodiments, the methods (and/or systems) described herein may be considered to include a “preparation” phase and an “operational” phase. In some embodiments, during the preparation phase, authorized endpoints, which may generate authorized traffic which a security sensor may interpret as suspect, or which may express how another authorized endpoint may generate authorized traffic which a security sensor may interpret as suspect, may be identified and stored in a central service (or database). A network signature or manifestation (e.g., characteristics of network communication that allow an application, device, etc. generating the network traffic to be identified) for each of these authorized endpoints (and/or applications) may be identified and stored in the central service. For each authorized endpoint with an authorized application, the application is associated with the endpoint, the endpoint&#39;s network identity (e.g., IP address, host name, etc.), observable network signature/manifestation, and optionally, the time period the behavior/activity is acceptable, and this information is stored in the central service. If required, for each authorized endpoint, a “helper agent” of the application is placed on the endpoint. A helper agent may be an optional application component that facilitates communication between the application and another component/system (e.g., the central service) when, for example, the application does not otherwise have communication capability. 
     In some embodiments, during the operational phase, the methods described herein may be considered to include functionality performed by and/or associated with endpoints (or endpoint components), a central service (or central service component), and a security system (or security system component). With respect to the endpoint component, if the application (or a “helper agent,” which acts on behalf of the application) is installed on an endpoint, and the application or agent is not known to the central service, the application or agent registers itself with the central service. If a change in application state is detected, the endpoint informs the central service of the endpoint&#39;s application operational state. 
     With respect to the central service component, in some embodiments, if an application (or helper agent) registration is requested or received, the central service processes the registration. If the application informs the central service of an operational state (or a change therein), the central service is updated with the current state of the application. If a security system query is received (e.g., whether or not a particular potential security threat should be ignored), the central service responds to the query. For example, if the behavior/attributes/characteristics of the anomalous network flow or activity (e.g., characteristics of a network communication that trigger an alert from a security system) is associated with an authorized application and the anomalous behavior is detected within the valid period and/or the anomalous behavior has been previously described as authorized behavior, the central service responds that the potential security threat can be ignored. Otherwise, the central service responds that the potential security threat should not be ignored. 
     With respect to the security system component, in some embodiments, if a security system identifies a suspicious network flow or activity, and if the source of the suspect flow/activity is from the identified collection of authorized endpoints, the security system queries the central service to determine if the anomalous behavior/attributes/characteristics of the network flow or activity associated with the collection of authorized endpoints, and potentially during an authorized time period, is an acceptable activity. If it is an acceptable activity (e.g., a “yes” response is received), the severity of the alert may be altered (e.g., reduced in severity or completely suppressed/cancelled or otherwise modified to reflect new information). If it is not an acceptable activity (e.g., a “no” response is received), a normal security alert is created or maintained. 
     In some embodiments, if the application (or its helper agent) is capable of confirming that it is the source of the activity at the particular time, the application is requested to do so. For example, the security system may query the central service to obtain a contact method (including both identity and credentials) for the application (or its helper agent). The security system may then contact the application (or its helper agent) to determine if the application is active. If the application is not active, then the alert(s) is not modified. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the alteration of alert severity may be based on an absolute rule, a rule based on endpoint, or application or time of day or other parameters. The severity alteration rule may be contained either in the central service or in the security system itself. 
     It should be noted that in at least some of the embodiments described herein (e.g., such as some of those described above), an endpoint component informs a central service that an application is beginning (or is about to begin) authorized activities that will (or at least may) result in a security alert (which should be ignored). However, in some embodiments, the application does not inform the central service. In such embodiments, the time period in which the authorized application initiates the authorized anomalous behavior may be defined in the preparation phase. This may allow embodiments described herein to be applied without modification to any application. 
     In such embodiments, during the operational phase, with respect to the central service component, if a security system query is received, the central service responds to the query. If the behavior/attributes/characteristics of the network flow or activity associated with the authorized application (at the particular time) is an acceptable activity, central service responds with “yes” (i.e., the potential security threat should be ignored). Otherwise, the central service responds with “no” (i.e., the potential security threat should not be ignored). 
     With respect to the security system component, if the security system identifies a suspect network flow or activity and the source of the suspicious flow/activity is from the identified collection of authorized endpoints, the security system queries the central service to determine if the anomalous behavior/attributes/characteristics of the network flow or activity associated with the authorized application (at the particular time) is an acceptable activity. If it is an acceptable activity (e.g., a “yes” response is received), the severity of the alert may be altered (e.g., reduced in severity or completely suppressed/cancelled). If it is not an acceptable activity (e.g., a “no” response is received), a normal security alert is created or maintained. 
     Embodiments described herein may be applied, for example, to reduce costs in responding to security incidents in cloud based services. That is, because of the dynamic nature of cloud based servers, determining if a server instance is authorized to generate suspect traffic at the time of a security alert can be very time consuming, expensive, and tie up valuable incident response resources. An example would be a vulnerability scanner instance being created in the cloud to perform authorized vulnerability scanning. 
     In such an example, in an initial or preparation phase, a security administrator, through, for example, a central service (e.g., central service component  402  in  FIG. 4 ), identifies the vulnerability scanner application as an authorized service and/or identity on the network, identifies the network signature or manifestation that the scanner application will present, and identifies the time period (or time frame) that this scanner application will exhibit (or perform) the scanning. During an operational phase, the vulnerability scanner (or a helper agent thereof) informs the central service (e.g., via a signal) that it is about to start a vulnerability scan and presents its identity as defined in the preparation phase. In some embodiments, the network security controls (or system) begin to trigger a security alert as the anomalous network traffic (i.e., a potential security threat) is observed. The security controls then query the central service to determine if the observed anomalous network traffic is anticipated, if the source of the anomalous network traffic is anticipated, and if the time at which the anomalous network traffic was observed (or initiated) is anticipated. In other words, the security controls determine whether or not a signal corresponding to the observed activity was previously received by the central service. In this case, because the information from the central service matches (or corresponds to) the activity observed by the security controls, the security alert is suppressed. However, in the event that no such matching information (or signal) was found, the security alert is not suppressed (or modified). 
     As another example, embodiments described herein may be applied to provide improved security of workstation endpoints by dynamically tracking the current state of authorized endpoints performing, for example, network scanning at specific times. For example, if a particular user needs to perform an authorized network application scan that will take two hours, embodiments described herein may facilitate tracking the authorization, allowing for the corresponding security alert to be ignored (or suppressed) for only the specific time frame indicated. If the same workstation generates suspicious network traffic outside of the authorized time frame, the activity may be identified as a potential security threat. In contrast, a traditional whitelisting approach may not generate a security alert in such a situation. 
     In such an example, in a preparation phase, a security administrator, through, for example, a central service, identifies or defines the set of endpoints that are authorized to perform network scanning and registers the endpoints as authorized services and/or identities on the network. During an operational phase, the administrator requests a time period for the appropriate endpoint(s) (e.g., via a signal) from the central service. The central service checks to see if the endpoint(s) is authorized (from the list created during the preparation phase), and if so, the central service logs the time request for the authorized endpoint(s). In some embodiments, the network security controls (or system) begin to trigger a security alert as the anomalous network traffic (i.e., a potential security threat) is observed. The security controls then query the central service to determine if the observed anomalous network traffic is anticipated, if the source of the anomalous network traffic is anticipated, and if the time at which the anomalous network traffic was observed (or initiated) is anticipated. In other words, the security controls determine whether or not a signal corresponding to the observed activity was previously described to central service. In this case, because the information from the central service matches (or corresponds to) the activity observed by the security controls, the security alert is suppressed. However, in the event that no such matching information (or signal) was found, the security alert is not suppressed. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart diagram of an exemplary method  500  for managing computing network security, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, is provided. Method  500  begins (step  502 ) with, for example, authorized endpoints (or computing devices, users, etc.), which may generate authorized traffic which a security sensor may interpret as suspect, being identified and stored in a central service (or database). 
     A signal is received (step  504 ). The signal is representative (or a representation) of and/or describes authorized anomalous behavior which may be observed and interpreted by security controls as a potential security incident and includes any appropriate metadata with respect to the authorized anomalous behavior (e.g., behavior, attributes, characteristics, the time period the anomalous behavior may occur, etc.). For example, the signal may include (and/or describe) at least one of an identity and a type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. The identity associated with the potential security incident may include, for example, an application name or a network address (or any other appropriate form of identification described above). The signal may also include a time frame associated with the potential security threat. 
     A security incident is detected (step  506 ). The detecting of the security incident may include determining an identity and/or a type of activity associated with the detected security incident. 
     If the detected security incident corresponds to the authorized anomalous behavior (as described by the signal), the generating of an alert in response to the detecting of the security incident is suppressed (step  508 ). If the detected security incident does not correspond to the authorized anomalous behavior, an alert may be caused to be generated in response to the detecting of the security incident. If the detecting of the security incident occurs within the time frame (if described by the signal), the generating of the alert may be suppressed. If the detecting of the security incident does not occur within the time frame, the alert may be caused to be generated. The identity and type of activity associated with the detected security incident may be compared to the identity and type of activity associated with the authorized anomalous behavior. Method  500  ends (step  510 ) with, for example, appropriate security personnel (and/or systems) investigating and/or rectifying the security incident in the event the alert is not suppressed. 
     The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. 
     The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. 
     Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. 
     Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. 
     Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. 
     These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowcharts and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowcharts and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowcharts and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.