Patent ID: 7551073

Claim:
A method of alerting an information technology support organization of a security event, said method comprising the steps of: storing in a trouble ticket alerting system a plurality of trouble tickets corresponding to a plurality of logged security events for a system on a network monitored by an information technology support organization; analyzing, at a pre-determined time interval, intrusion detection system logs for one or more recently logged security events of said plurality of logged security events, said one or more recently logged security events being logged within said pre-determined time interval; comparing a recent security event of said one or more recently logged security events to each of said plurality of trouble tickets stored in said trouble ticket alerting system; and if said recent security event does not match an existing trouble ticket, automatically creating a new trouble ticket in said trouble ticket alerting system, and if said recent security event matches said existing trouble ticket, escalating said existing trouble ticket, wherein said information technology support organization is alerted of said recent security event so that appropriate action can be taken to alleviate said recent security event.