Methods and system for determining licensing/billing fees for computer security software

摘要

Value based licensing/billing methods and system for security software is provided, which use an effective vulnerability protection measure provided by a new or updated IPS filter deployed on host computer to determine the licensing/billing fee of the new or updated IPS filter over a billing period. The effective vulnerability protection measure is determined based on vulnerability and host attributes, and, in the embodiment of the invention, is based on a vulnerability time gap or time protected of the host computer.

主权项

1. A computerized method for determining a billing fee for a computer security software, the method comprising:
in a computer having a processor configured for: (a) collecting asset value attributes, characterizing value of an asset protected by the security software against a vulnerability attack during a billing period for the security software; the asset value attributes excluding a value of the security software; (b) collecting vulnerability time gap attributes, comprising: a vulnerability time gap for the asset during which the asset has been exposed to the vulnerability attack; the vulnerability time gap being measured from a time instance when a new vulnerability attack has become known to a time instance when a new or updated security software for protecting against the new vulnerability attack has been released or deployed; and a period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack, measured from a time instance when the new or updated security software has been released to a time instance when the new or updated security software has been deployed; and (c) determining the billing fee for the security software for the billing period as a function of the asset value attributes and the vulnerability time gap attributes, wherein the billing fee is inversely proportional to the vulnerability time gap, and proportional to the period of time during which the asset has been protected against the vulnerability attack.