Method for communication security and apparatus therefor

• US 20070136791A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tri Mbc Communications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Green, Stuart, Brown, Scott, Myers, Jeffrey, Yax, Marcus, Perry, Carl, Crain, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

A FireNet security system in which trustworthy networks, called BlackNets, each comprising One (1) or more client computers, are protected by FireBreaks against attacks from untrustworthy networks, called RedNets. All incoming transactions from the RedNet are examined by the FireBreak to determine if they violate any of a plurality of protection rules stored in a local protection rules database. Any transaction found to be in violation is discarded. Valid transactions are forwarded to the BlackNet. If an otherwise valid transaction is found to be suspicious, the FireBreak will forward to a FireNet Server relevant information relating to that transaction. If the FireNet Server verifies that the transaction is indeed part of an attack, the FireNet Server will create new protection rules suitable to defend against the newly identified source or strategy of attack. Periodically, all FireBreaks in the FireNet system will transfer, directly or indirectly, all new rules.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A communications security system to prevent transfer of selected communication transactions from an untrustworthy network to a trustworthy network, comprising:

a server, connected to the untrustworthy network, that maintains a plurality of protection rules, each of which, when applied to a communication transaction, identifies that communication transaction to be a respective one of the selected communication transactions; and

a portal, connected between the untrustworthy network and the trusted network, that;

cooperates with the server to transfer the database of protection rules from said server to the portal via said untrustworthy network;

receives a communication transaction from the untrustworthy network for transfer to the trustworthy network;

applies each of the protection rules to the received communication transaction; and

selectively transfers to the server at least a portion of the received communication transaction via the untrustworthy network if a protection rule identifies the received communication transaction to be a respective one of the selected communication transactions.

22. A portal for use in a communications security system to selectively transfer a communication transaction in accordance with a protection rule maintained by a server, the portal:

transferring the protection rule from said server;

receiving the communication transaction;

applying the protection rule to the received communication transaction;

preventing the transfer of the received communication transaction if required by the protection rule; and

selectively transferring to the server at least a portion of the received communication transaction even if the protection rule allows transfer of the received communication transaction.

23. A communications security method wherein a portal selectively transfers a communication transaction in accordance with a first protection rule maintained by a server, comprising:

transferring the first protection rule from said server to the portal;

receiving at the portal the communication transaction;

applying at the portal the first protection rule to the communication transaction;

preventing at the portal the transfer of the communication transaction if required by the first protection rule;

selectively transferring from the portal to the server at least a portion of the communication transaction even if the first protection rule allows transfer of the communication transaction; and

selectively creating at the server a second protection rule in response to said portion of the communication transaction.