Method for establishing secure communication link between computers of virtual private network without user entering any cryptographic information

• US 6,839,759 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Inventors: Larson, Victor, Short, III, Robert Dunham, Munger, Edmund Colby, Williamson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US10/702,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/207, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1491 : using deception as countermeasure, e.g. honeypots, honeynets, decoys or entrapment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 : using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for establishing a secure communication link between a first computer and a second computer over a computer network. Initially, a secure communication mode of communication is enabled at a first computer without a user entering any cryptographic information for establishing the secure communication mode of communication. Then, a secure communication link is established between the first computer and a second computer over a computer network based on the enabled secure communication mode of communication. The secure communication link is a virtual private network communication link over the computer network in which one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence are inserted into each data packet.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a secure communication link between a first computer and a second computer over a computer network, the method comprising steps of:

enabling a secure communication mode of communication at the first computer without a user entering any cryptographic information for establishing the secure communication mode of communication; and

establishing the secure communication link between the first computer and a second computer over a computer network based on the enabled secure communication mode of communication, the secure communication link being a virtual private network communication link over the computer network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining whether a secure communication software module is stored on the first computer in response to the step of enabling the secure communication mode of communication;

accessing a predetermined computer network address for loading the secure communication software module when the software module is not stored on the first computer; and

storing the software module in the first computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is based on inserting into each data packet one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is based on inserting into at least one data packet at least one data value representing a predetermined level of service associated with the virtual private network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is based on a computer network address hopping regime that is used to pseudorandomly change computer network addresses in packets transmitted between the first computer and the second computer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is based on comparing a value in each data packet transmitted between the first computer and the second computer to a moving window of valid values.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is based on a comparison of a discriminator field in a header of each data packet to a table of valid discriminator fields maintained for the first computer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the secure communication mode of communication includes a step of entering a command into the first computer that specifies the secure communication mode.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the command is entered to define a setup parameter associated with the secure communication mode of communication, and

wherein the secure communication link is automatically established when a communication link is established over the computer network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enabling a secure communication link mode of operation includes a step of selecting an icon displayed on a display device of the first computer.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of displaying an indication on a display of the first computer that the secure communication link is established.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the indication is an icon.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secure communication link is one of a plurality of secure communication links in a hierarchy of secure communication links.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secure communication link is through a secure portal connected to the computer network, and

wherein the second computer comprises a secure domain name service.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising:

a storage area; and

computer-readable instructions for a method for establishing a secure communication link between a first computer and a second computer over a computer network, the method comprising steps of;

enabling a secure communication mode of communication at a first computer without a user entering any cryptographic information for establishing the secure communication mode of communication; and

establishing a secure communication link between the first computer and a second computer over a computer network based on the enabled secure communication mode of communication, the secure communication link being a virtual private network communication link over the computer network.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising steps of:

determining whether a secure communication software module is stored on the first computer in response to the step of enabling the secure communication mode of communication;

accessing a predetermined computer network address for loading the secure communication software module when the software module is not stored on the first computer; and

storing the software module in the first computer.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the virtual private network is based on inserting into at least one data packet at least one data value representing a predetermined level of service associated with the virtual private network.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the virtual private network is based on inserting into each data packet one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the virtual private network is based on a computer network address hopping regime that is used to pseudorandomly change computer network addresses in packets transmitted between the first computer and the second computer.

21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the virtual private network is based on comparing a value in each data packet transmitted between the first computer and the second computer to a moving window of valid values.

22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the virtual private network is based on a comparison of a discriminator field in a header of each data packet to a table of valid discriminator fields maintained for the first computer.

23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the step of enabling the secure communication mode of communication includes a step of entering a command into the first computer that specifies the secure communication mode.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the command is entered to define a setup parameter associated with the secure communication mode of communication, and

wherein the secure communication link is automatically established when a communication link is established over the computer network.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the step of enabling a secure communication link mode of operation includes a step of selecting an icon displayed on a display device of the first computer.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising a step of displaying an indication on a display of the first computer that the secure communication link is established.

28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 27, wherein the indication is an icon.

29. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is one of a plurality of secure communication links in a hierarchy of secure communication links.

30. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is through a secure portal connected to the computer network, and wherein the second computer comprises a secure domain name service.