Patent ID: 7472421

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of quantifying a security risk associated with a computer system, the method comprising: identifying a computer system; analyzing an actual configuration of the computer system by: identifying a vulnerability path of one or more intermediary systems, the vulnerability path comprising a sequence of vulnerabilities in which a first event must interrupt a normal operating mode on a first system before a second event may occur on a second system; identifying a risk for the actual configuration associated with the computer system, the risk relating to an event that may interrupt a normal operating mode of the computer system as a result of the vulnerability path being exploited; determining a likelihood for the actual configuration that the event associated with the risk for the actual configuration will occur; determining a cost for the actual configuration associated with the event occurring on the computer system; and quantifying the risk into an impact value by using the likelihood for the actual configuration and the cost for the actual configuration; accessing the actual configuration for the computer system; analyzing an alternative configuration for the computer system by: enabling a user to modify the actual configuration to create the alternative configuration; identifying, using the alternative configuration, an alternative path of one or more intermediary systems, the alternative path comprising a sequence of vulnerabilities in the alternative configuration; identifying an alternative risk associated with the alternative configuration; determining an alternative likelihood that an event associated with the alternative risk will occur; and determining an alternative cost associated with the alternative configuration; quantifying the alternative risk into an alternative value by using the alternative likelihood and the alternative cost; and enabling the user to perceive the impact value for the actual configuration and the alternative value for the alternative configuration.