Techniques for detecting unauthorized use (e.g., malicious attacks) of the computing systems (e.g., computing devices) are disclosed. Unauthorized use can be detected based on patterns of use (e.g., behavioral patterns of use typically associated with a human being) of the computing systems. Acceptable behavioral pattern data can be generated for a computing system by monitoring the use of a support system (e.g., an operating system, a virtual environment) operating on the computing system. For example, a plurality of system support provider components of a support system (e.g., system calls, device drivers) can be monitored in order to generate the acceptable behavioral pattern data in a form which effectively defines an acceptable pattern of use (usage pattern) for the monitored system support provider components, thereby allowing detection of unauthorized use of a computing system by detecting any deviation from the acceptable pattern of use of the monitored system support provider components.

Detecting unauthorized use of computing devices based on behavioral patterns

In one aspect, a method of instructing operators in a best practices implementation of a service monitoring and control (SMC) facility performing a plurality of functions in a computer system comprising a plurality of services to be monitored is provided The method comprises an act of providing best practices instructions for the implementation of the SMC facility in a hierarchical manner so that the implementation of the SMC facility is described as comprising a plurality of top level activities to be performed during the operation of the SMC, with each of the plurality of top level activities being described as comprising at least one lower level sub-activity, the top level activities comprising, assessing performance of the SMC facility, in response to information learned during assessing the performance of the SMC facility, implementing at least one change in the SMC facility, monitoring the computer system with the changed SMC facility for an occurrence of at least one event, and automatically performing at least one control action in response to the occurrence of the at least one event In another aspect, a top-level activity of collaborating with one or more developers is described, resulting in a change to at least one change to software executed on the computer system In another aspect, at least a part of the effectiveness of an SMC facility is automatically assessed, and in response, one of the plurality of functions performed by the SMC facility is automatically changed

Methods for service monitoring and control

Systems and related methods facilitating payments with a mobile device are discussed herein. Circuitry in a networked-based central system, which may be a promotional system or payment system, may be configured to receive payment information from a consumer device. The consumer device may include circuitry configured to receive wallet identifying data from the central system. The wallet identification data may be used to secure messages between the consumer device and another device, such as a merchant device, over a wireless link. In some embodiments, the consumer device may receive promotional offers, such as deal vouchers or rewards, and make payments to the other device via the wireless link.

Consumer presence based deal offers

An indexing system for graph data. In particular implementations, the indexing system provides for denormalization and replica index functionality to improve query performance.

Composite Term Index for Graph Data

Systems and related methods facilitating payments with a mobile device are discussed herein. Circuitry in a networked-based payment system may be configured to receive payment information from a first device. The first device may include circuitry configured to wirelessly receive wallet identifying data from the payment system. The wallet identifying data may be used to secure messages between the first device and another device over a wireless link. For example, the first device may be configured to send the wallet identifying data to a second device, which may then communicate with the payment system. In response, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data may be received by the second device from the payment system. In some embodiments, use of wallet identifying data may be applied to other communications, such as for messages that authorize payment.

Peer-to-peer payment processing

In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, every time a user submits a form the client software tries to match the submitted information with the stored profile of that user. If a match is discovered, the program tags the field of the recognized data with a corresponding type. The resulting profile can be used after that to help all subsequent users to fill the same form.

Ognian Z. Topalov

Papers

Reverse mapping method and apparatus for form filling

Method and apparatus for form filling