Method and apparatus for providing secure remote access to enterprise networks

• US 20070130457A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Koppol, Pramod, Stiliadis, Dimitrios, Kamat, Sanjay, Kumar, Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The invention includes a method and apparatus for providing secure remote access to enterprise networks. An apparatus includes a network interface module adapted for maintaining a secure network connection with a network device independent of a power state of a host computer associated with the apparatus a storage module for storing information associated with the secure connection, and a processor coupled to the network interface and the memory where the processor is adapted for automatically initiating the secure connection without user interaction.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface module adapted for maintaining a secure connection with a network device independent of a power state of a host computer associated with the apparatus;

a storage module for storing information associated with the secure connection; and

a processor coupled to the network interface and the memory, the processor adapted for automatically initiating the secure connection without user interaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted for automatically initiating the secure connection in response to a trigger condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the trigger condition comprises detecting an available network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises detecting a request from the network device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage module comprises at least one non-volatile memory component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the secure connection comprises at least one of information received over the secure connection and information assigned for transmission over the secure connection.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is adapted for:

in response to a determination that the host computer is in an inactive state, storing in the storage module the information received over the secure connection.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a host interface module coupled to the processor for supporting communications between the apparatus and the host computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted for:

in response to detecting a transition of the host computer from the inactive state to an active state, retrieving the information from the storage device and providing the information to the host interface for transferring the information to the host computer.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the information received over the secure connection comprises information pushed by at least one network element in communication with the network device.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor is adapted for:

in response to a determination that the secure connection is unavailable, storing in the storage module the information assigned for transmission over the secure connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted for:

in response to a determination that an access network is available, reestablishing the secure connection, retrieving the information from the storage module, and transferring the information toward the network device using the secure connection.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving information from a host computer;

transmitting the received information towards a network device using a secure connection, wherein the secure connection is automatically established without user interaction, wherein the secure connection is maintained independent of a power state of the host computer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the received information in response to a first condition.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

extracting the stored information in response to a second condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first condition comprises a network being unavailable and the second condition comprises the network being available.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically establishing the secure connection in response to the second condition

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first condition comprises a determination to delay transmission of the received information and the second condition comprises a threshold being satisfied.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving information over a secure connection, wherein the secure connection is automatically established without user interaction, wherein the secure connection is maintained independent of a power state of the host computer; and

transferring the information to the host computer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the received information in response to a determination that the power state of the host computer comprises an inactive state; and

extracting the stored information in response to detecting a transition of the power state of the host computer from the inactive state in the active state.