Patent ID: 7779466

Claim:
A system for detecting an anomalous communication transmitted over a communications network, the system comprising: a) an interface adapted to couple the system with a communications network; b) a system data store capable of storing data associated with communications transmitted over the communications network and information associated with one or more responses to be initiated if an anomaly is detected; c) a system processor in communication with the interface and the data store, wherein the system processor comprises one or more processing elements and wherein the system processor executes: i) a collection engine that: 1) receives a communication via the interface; and 2) generates data associated with the received communication by applying one or more tests to the received communication; ii) an analysis engine that detects whether an anomaly exists with respect to the received communication based upon the data generated by the collection engine and data associated with previously received communications from the system data store; and iii) an action engine that initiates a predetermined response from the system data store if an anomaly was detected by the analysis engine.