Patent ID: 8904527

Claim:
A centralized security management system, comprising: one or more computing devices that operate in one or more networks; a first subset of the one or more computing devices that collects a set of data from a plurality of network elements located or operating in the one or more networks; a second subset of the one or more computing devices that analyzes and correlates the set of data collected by the first subset, wherein the second subset operates to identify packet flow signatures, behavioral signatures, and alert signatures, and wherein A) identify packet flow signatures includes determine that a packet flow within the network corresponds to an attack on one or more devices associated with the network, B) identify behavioral signatures includes determine that a pattern of actions that occur within the network correspond to an attack on one or more devices associated with the network, and C) identify alert signatures includes determine that alerts received from network devices correspond to an attack on one or more devices associated with the network; a third subset of the one or more computing devices that performs at least one of: A) controls a portion of the one or more computing devices, B) monitors the portion of the one or more computing devices and the network elements, C) provides a first view of the portion of the one or more computing devices to one or more users, or D) provides a second view of the network elements to the one or more users.