Detecting suspicious behavior in an online gaming application

Abstract

A processor-implemented method for detecting suspicious behavior in an online gaming application is provided. Access to an online gaming application is provided by a gaming server over a network to a client device operated by a user. An evaluation server retrieves gaming activity of the user occurring during sessions of the online gaming application. The evaluation server retrieves social network activity of the user occurring over a social networking application independent of the online gaming application. The evaluation server generates a social-gaming activity timeline using the gaming activity and social network activity. The evaluation server applies one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters to the generated social-gaming activity timeline to generate one or more security clearance flags. The evaluation server generates a constraint of service order which defines an action to be taken in response to the generated one or more security clearance flags.

1 : A processor-implemented method for detecting suspicious behavior in an online gaming application, comprising:
 providing, by a gaming server over a network, access to an online gaming application to a client device operated by a user;   retrieving, over the network by an evaluation server configured for detection of suspicious behavior in the online gaming application, gaming activity of the user occurring during sessions of the online gaming application;   retrieving, over the network by the evaluation server, social network activity of the user occurring over a social networking application independent of the online gaming application, wherein retrieving the social network activity includes invoking an application programming interface (API) call over the network to a social networking server;   generating, by the evaluation server, a social-gaming activity timeline using the gaming activity and social network activity;   applying, by the evaluation server, one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters to the generated social-gaming activity timeline to generate one or more security clearance flags;   generating, by the evaluation server, a constraint of service order which defines an action to be taken in response to the generated one or more security clearance flags.   
     
     
         2 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming activity of the user includes gaming action identifiers and their associated gaming action timestamps, the gaming action identifiers indicate actions occurring in an online gaming application during a user gaming session. 
     
     
         3 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the social network activity of the user includes social networking action identifiers and their associated social networking action timestamps, the social networking action identifiers indicate actions occurring over the social networking application. 
     
     
         4 : The method of  claim 3 , wherein the actions occurring over the social networking application include actions occurring both during and not during a user gaming session of the online gaming application. 
     
     
         5 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the social-gaming evaluation parameters include one or more evaluation score thresholds, and wherein applying the one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters includes calculating one or more evaluation scores based on the social-gaming activity timeline and comparing the one or more calculated evaluation scores to the one or more evaluation score thresholds. 
     
     
         6 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint of service order includes orders on modifying an online gaming experience for a user. 
     
     
         7 : The method of  claim 6 , wherein the orders on modifying the online gaming experience for the user include locking the user out of the online gaming experience. 
     
     
         8 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint of service order includes an online gaming activity report based on the social-gaming activity timeline. 
     
     
         9 : A processor-implemented method for detecting suspicious behavior in an online gaming application, comprising:
 providing, by a gaming server over a network, access to an online gaming application to a client device operated by a user;   retrieving, over the network by an evaluation server configured for detection of suspicious behavior in the online gaming application, gaming activity of the user occurring during sessions of the online gaming application;   retrieving, over the network by the evaluation server, social network activity of the user occurring over a social networking application independent of the online gaming application, wherein retrieving the social network activity includes invoking an application programming interface (API) call over the network to a social networking server;   generating, by the evaluation server, a social-gaming activity timeline using the gaming activity and social network activity;   applying, by the evaluation server, one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters to the generated social-gaming activity timeline to generate security clearance flags;   determining whether any security clearance flags were generated based on the applying of the one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters to the social-gaming activity timeline;   responsive to a security clearance flag being generated, generating, by the evaluation server, a constraint of service order which defines an action to be taken in response to the generated security clearance flag.   
     
     
         10 : The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 generating a security clearance acknowledgment upon determining that no security clearance flags were generated.   
     
     
         11 : The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 obtaining a user online gaming action input and user gaming environment data; and   generating updated user gaming environment data using the user online gaming action input and the user gaming environment data, upon generating the security clearance acknowledgment.   
     
     
         12 : A system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a least one memory comprising processor executable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:
 providing, by a gaming server over a network, access to an online gaming application to a client device operated by a user; 
 retrieving, over the network by an evaluation server configured for detection of suspicious behavior in the online gaming application, gaming activity of the user occurring during sessions of the online gaming application; 
 retrieving, over the network by the evaluation server, social network activity of the user occurring over a social networking application independent of the online gaming application, wherein retrieving the social network activity includes invoking an application programming interface (API) call over the network to a social networking server; 
 generating, by the evaluation server, a social-gaming activity timeline using the gaming activity and social network activity; 
 applying, by the evaluation server, one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters to the generated social-gaming activity timeline to generate one or more security clearance flags; 
 generating, by the evaluation server, a constraint of service order which defines an action to be taken in response to the generated one or more security clearance flags. 
   
     
     
         13 : The system  claim 12 , wherein the gaming activity of the user includes gaming action identifiers and their associated gaming action timestamps, the gaming action identifiers indicate actions occurring in an online gaming application during a user gaming session. 
     
     
         14 : The system of  claim 12 , wherein the social network activity of the user includes social networking action identifiers and their associated social networking action timestamps, the social networking action identifiers indicate actions occurring over the social networking application. 
     
     
         15 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein the actions occurring over the social networking application include actions occurring both during and not during a user gaming session of the online gaming application. 
     
     
         16 : The system of  claim 12 , wherein the social-gaming evaluation parameters include one or more evaluation score thresholds, and wherein applying the one or more social-gaming evaluation parameters includes calculating one or more evaluation scores based on the social-gaming activity timeline and comparing the one or more calculated evaluation scores to the one or more evaluation score thresholds. 
     
     
         17 : The system of  claim 12 , wherein the constraint of service order includes orders on modifying an online gaming experience for a user. 
     
     
         18 : The system of  claim 17 , wherein the orders on modifying the online gaming experience for the user include locking the user out of the online gaming experience. 
     
     
         19 : The system of  claim 12 , wherein the constraint of service order includes an online gaming activity report based on the social-gaming activity timeline.