Microsoft patents cloud security system that spots risky data connections
Microsoft describes a system that maps out how different parts of a cloud network are connected to each other. It uses machine learning to find important data and watch for unusual access patterns that might signal a security threat.
In the filing’s own words
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for identifying cybersecurity risks. The systems and methods automate monitoring and anomaly detection. The systems and methods use a security graph enriched with metadata in automatically identifying sensitive resources. The systems and methods monitor the identified sensitive resources for anomalies.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: traversing, using a machine learning model, a security graph with nodes representing entities in a cloud environment and edges representing relationships between the entities; identifying, using the machine learning model, an entity identified as a sensitive asset using metadata in the security graph; adding the entity to a list of sensitive assets; discovering, by the machine learning model, dependent entities to the entity using the edges in the security graph; adding the dependent entities to the list of sensitive assets; monitoring, by the machine learning model, access patterns of the entity and the dependent entities in the list of sensitive assets; identifying, by the machine learning model, an anomaly in the access patterns; and sending an alert in response to identifying the anomaly.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- DYNAMIC SENSITIVITY SCORING FRAMEWORK FOR PROACTIVE SECURITY IN CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE
- Publication number
- US20260303628A1
- Application number
- 19094552
- Filed
- Mar 28, 2025
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04L 63/1425 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in Security & privacy
- Microsoft patents system to call 911 for others during video calls Sep 22, 2026
- Microsoft patents system to block fake code suggested by AI Sep 15, 2026
- Microsoft patents one-way data flow to block network attacks Sep 10, 2026
- Microsoft patents voice coding that hides speaker identity for secure calls Sep 17, 2026
- Microsoft patents security checks for AI chats using user and model profiles Oct 1, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.