Patent Document ID: 9807108
Application ID: 15240765
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: generating, via a processor, a parent data structure representing a top-level entity at a first layer of a network element hierarchy, the parent data structure including attributes associated with the top-level entity; retrieving, at a first time, a plurality of child data structures representing a plurality of network elements of the top-level entity, the plurality of child data structures being disposed at a second layer of the network element hierarchy that is below the first layer of the network element hierarchy; incorporating attributes of a first portion of the plurality of child data structures into the parent data structure based on an inspection of the plurality of child data structures, such that the parent data structure includes the attributes of the first portion of the plurality of child data structures, and such that the parent data structure does not include attributes of a second portion of the plurality of child data structures; and sending, after inspecting the parent data structure, a signal to a device accessed by an analyst such that the device accessed by the analyst conducts a security threat mitigation analysis of a network element associated with a child data structure from the first portion of the plurality of child data structures based on inspection of the parent data structure and not inspection of the child data structure, the signal including (1) the attributes associated with the top-level entity, and (2) the attributes of the first portion of the plurality of child data structures, such that the attributes of the first portion of the plurality of child data structures provide context to the attributes associated with the top-level entity.