A method, system, and computer program product for utilizing a mapping of
activity occurring at and between devices on a computer network to detect
and prevent network intrusions. An enhanced graph matching intrusion
detection system (eGMIDS) is provided that provides data collection
functions, data fusion techniques, graph matching algorithms, and
secondary and other search mechanisms. Threats are modeled as a set of
entities and interrelations between the entities and sample threat
patterns are stored within a database. The eGMIDS utility initiates a
graph matching algorithm by which the threat patterns are compared within
the generated activity graph via subgraph isomorphism. A multi-layered
approach including a targeted secondary layer search following a match
during a primary layer search is provided. Searches are tempered by
attributes and constraints and the eGMIDS reduces the number of threat
patterns searched by utilizing ontological generalization.