Patent Document ID: 9325729
Application ID: 14324966
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for securing a network vulnerable to attack from at least one origin to at least one target, the network including at least one machine having a plurality of components, the method comprising: (i) causing a present security of the network to be determined, wherein the present security of the network is indicated by a safety level of the network, wherein the safety level is determined by: associating, with a computer, the at least one machine with the plurality of components, the plurality of components comprising an origin component and a target component; associating, with the computer, each of the plurality of components with at least one of a plurality of vulnerabilities; generating, with the computer, an attack graph describing exploitation of each of the plurality of vulnerabilities, the attack graph defining exploit condition relationships between the origin component and the target component; analyzing, with the computer, the attack graph using a k-zero day metric function based on a number of distinct zero day exploits required to compromise the target component in an attack starting from the origin component; and determining, with the computer, the safety level based on the analysis of the attack graph using the k-zero day metric function; and (ii) causing hardening to be performed on the network based on the determined safety level.