McAfee‘s patent describes a method for detecting phishing attacks by analyzing web pages. The process involves retrieving a URL, rendering it in a headless browser, and using machine learning-based computer vision to compare the visual output against known legitimate websites to identify potential phishing threats. GlobalData’s report on McAfee gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.

According to GlobalData’s company profile on McAfee, was a key innovation area identified from patents. McAfee's grant share as of July 2024 was 68%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

Phishing attack detection using visual analysis and machine learning

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Credit: McAfee Corp

The patent US12069091B2 outlines a method for detecting phishing attacks by analyzing internet payloads associated with URLs. The process begins with the receipt of an internet payload, which could be a website or an email. The method specifically targets URLs that do not utilize transport layer security (TLS) and have an unknown reputation. Once these conditions are met, the internet payload is rendered as an image in a headless web browser. Computer vision software, trained on images of legitimate websites, is then employed to visually analyze the rendered image. If the analysis indicates that the image resembles a known legitimate website, yet the URL is not publicly associated with it, the payload is flagged as a suspected phishing attack.

Further claims detail additional steps and considerations in the detection process. For instance, the method includes querying a cloud-based URL reputation service to assess the URL's reputation, which can influence the detection outcome. Risk attributes may also be assigned to the internet payload based on various factors, such as the absence of TLS or the potential collection of personally identifiable information (PII). The patent also encompasses tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media containing executable instructions for implementing this detection method, as well as a computing apparatus designed to execute these instructions, potentially in a home or enterprise gateway setting.

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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.