Analytic software firm FICO has been awarded new patents related to cybersecurity and utility network protection. FICO now holds 169 US and foreign patents, and has 97 pending patent applications.
Members of FICO’s fraud analytics team patented a system and method for cybersecurity threat monitoring using “adaptive analytics,” which adapt to changes in the environment. This innovation can detect command-and-control behaviour of malware on an infected computer by creating and monitoring real-time behavioural analytic profiles for computers, DNS domain query names, IP addresses and other entities. This technology is used in the FICO® Cyber Analytic Solution.
The second new patent is for utility network and revenue assurance, and covers a system used to detect anomalies in the measurement and distribution of utilities. This system uses smart meter data to find unusual patterns in utility consumption, which may indicate fraud or loss. The utility analytics system was developed for the electric utility industry, and is also applicable to other utilities, including gas and water distribution. FICO has used this technology in its work with major utility providers.
“The machine-learning and other analytic technologies we use to detect anomalies in financial data have enormous potential in other fields,” said Dr. Scott Zoldi, chief analytics officer at FICO, who co-developed both of the newly patented innovations. “We continue to explore opportunities for using our breakthroughs in new ways to protect people, organisations and the mission-critical systems they depend upon.”
FICO (NYSE: FICO) is a leading analytics software company, helping businesses in 100+ countries make better decisions that drive higher levels of growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. The company’s ground-breaking use of Big Data and mathematical algorithms to predict consumer behaviour has transformed entire industries. FICO provides analytics software and tools used across multiple industries to manage risk, fight fraud, build more profitable customer relationships, optimise operations and meet strict government regulations. Many of our products reach industry-wide adoption. These include the FICO® Score, the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the United States. FICO solutions leverage open-source standards and cloud computing to maximise flexibility, speed deployment and reduce costs. The company also helps millions of people manage their personal credit health.