Cyber-attack on a data processing environment is an unauthorized actual or potential exploitation, access, or use of a system or data contained in the data processing environment. A cyber-attack is also known as, or referred to as, a cyber threat, data breach, data security breach, system intrusion, malicious activity, and other similarly purposed terms. Generally, within this disclosure, any activity intended to cause harm to a system or data, or to cause harm using a system or data from a data processing environment is contemplated within the scope of “cyber-attack”. “cyber-attack” is also interchangeably referred to herein as simple “attack” unless expressly distinguished where used.
Malicious computer-based intrusions against computing infrastructure in the United States are increasing by a significant order of magnitude. The value of the US intellectual property stolen or destroyed through cyber attacks potentially now exceeds one trillion dollars.
The steadily increasing cost and complexity of information systems, compounded by the growing volume, velocity, and diversity of information has created gaps and vulnerabilities in network defense systems. The number of cyber attacks within the United States alone hit an all-time high in 2014—over 750—in which an individuals' names and social security numbers, driver's license numbers, medical or financial records were stolen or compromised.
Natural language processing (NLP) is a technique that facilitates exchange of information between humans and data processing systems. For example, one branch of NLP pertains to transforming human readable content into machine usable data. For example, NLP engines are presently usable to accept input of unstructured data such as a record of human activity or conversation, and produce data, such as an outline of the input content, most significant and least significant parts, a subject, a reference, dependencies within the content, and the like, from the given content. NLP engines are also presently usable to accept input of structured data such as logs from data processing systems, and produce other data usable in other processes.
For example, another branch of NLP pertains to answering questions about a subject matter based on the information available about the subject matter domain. Such information may be the result of an NLP engine processing, for example, human communications, system logs, and the like. This is the branch of cognitive analytics, and is also referred to as a Question and Answer system (Q and A system). Cognitive analytics is the process of analyzing available information or knowledge to create, infer, deduce, or derive new information.