System for monitoring access to network within secured site

• US 10,178,099 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Tohru, Motoki, Toshiyasu, Oishi, Yutaka, Takayama, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US14/832,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A controller is provided which monitors/manages information terminals'"'"' access to a network within a secured site. A controller of the present invention includes: a storage device for storing security information about at least one or more information terminals received from the information terminals before accessing a network; and a processor for determining whether to permit access of an information terminal to the network based on the security information read from the storage device and access permission criteria on the security information, and generating a control signal for permitting or blocking the access of the information terminal to the network according to the determination result.

Claims

1. A system for managing access of an information terminal to a network within a secured site, comprising:

an RFID tag coupled to the information terminal, the RFID tag including a storage device for storing security information received from the information terminal, wherein the security information includes information on a type and a version of software in a set of software on the information terminal; and

a controller including;

an RFID reader for receiving the security information regarding the information terminal from the RFID tag;

a storage device storing access permission criteria, the access permission criteria including a required type and a required version of the software in the set of software;

and

a processor for determining whether to permit access of the information terminal to the network based on the security information received by the RFID reader from the storage device of the RFID tag and the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller, and for generating a control signal for permitting the access of the information terminal to the network only when the type and the version of each software in the set of software on the information terminal matches the required type and the required version of each software in the set of software included in the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein when the software in the set of software stored in the storage device of the information terminal is not of a predetermined version or higher, the processor generates a control signal for blocking access of the information terminal to the network.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined version is a latest version, and wherein the processor receives and stores information regarding the latest version in the storage device of the controller.

4. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates a filter signal for a firewall of the network as the control signal.

5. A management system for managing access of an information terminal to a network within a secured site, comprising:

an information terminal including an RFID tag, the RFID tag including a storage device for storing security information received from the information terminal, wherein the security information includes information on a type and a version of software in a set of software stored in a storage device of the information terminal;

and

a controller including;

a receiver for receiving security information regarding the information terminal from the RFID tag, before accessing the network;

a storage device for storing access permission criteria, the access permission criteria including a required type and a required version of the software in the set of software, before accessing the network, and

a processor for determining whether to permit access of the information terminal to the network based on the security information received by the receiver from the storage device of the RFID tag and the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller, and for generating a control signal for permitting the access of the information terminal to the network only when the type and the version of each software in the set of software on the information terminal matches the required type and the required version of each software in the set of software included in the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller.

6. The management system according to claim 5, wherein the receiver includes an RFID reader, and the controller receives, through the RFID reader, the security information stored in the RFID tag included in the information terminal.

7. The management system according to claim 5, wherein when the software in the set of software stored in the storage device of the information terminal is not of a predetermined version or higher, the controller generates a control signal for blocking access of the information terminal to the network.

8. The management system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined version is a latest version, and wherein the controller receives and stores information regarding the latest version in the storage device of the controller.

9. The management system according to claim 5, wherein the controller further includes a firewall of the network, and the controller generates a filter signal for the firewall as the control signal.

10. A method to monitor access of an information terminal to a network within a secured site, the method comprising:

receiving at an RFID tag security information regarding the information terminal from the information terminal, wherein the security information includes information on a type and a version of software in a set of software stored in a storage device of the information terminal;

receiving at a controller the security information regarding the information terminal from the RFID tag using an RFID reader, the controller including a storage device storing access permission criteria, the access permission criteria including a required type and a required version of the software in the set of software; and

determining at the controller whether to permit access of the information terminal to the network based on the received security information and the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller, and generating a control signal for permitting access of the information terminal to the network only when the type and the version of each software in the set of software on the information terminal matches the required type and the required version of each software in the set of software included in the access permission criteria stored in the storage device of the controller.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller further includes a firewall of the network, the controller generating a filter signal for the firewall as the control signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller receives information on a latest version of the software and stores the information on the latest version in the storage device of the controller.