NETWORK SECURITY SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method of detecting cloned client devices communicating over a network, comprising:
- storing at a server at least one covert identifier for a client device having credentials registered at a server;
receiving a message from a client device at the server, the message containing a covert identifier derived from at least one operational event of the client device;
determining whether the covert identifier received in the message matches a covert identifier for the client device having the same credentials stored at the server; and
reporting detection of a clone of a real client device if at least part of the covert identifier in the message does not match the covert identifier stored for the client device at the server.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a security system for network communications with client devices, each client device has a communication module for communicating with at least one server over a network, a data storage module for storing one or more covert data values of one or more operational events at the client device, and a covert identifier generating module which creates at least one covert identifier based on the stored covert data values. The covert identifier is provided in one or more network messages to the server, or otherwise sent to the service provider, and may be provided in response to a specific request received over the network, or routinely in one or more messages normally involved in network communications. The server compares covert identifiers received from client devices having the same client identifier in order to detect possible clones.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of detecting cloned client devices communicating over a network, comprising:
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storing at a server at least one covert identifier for a client device having credentials registered at a server; receiving a message from a client device at the server, the message containing a covert identifier derived from at least one operational event of the client device; determining whether the covert identifier received in the message matches a covert identifier for the client device having the same credentials stored at the server; and reporting detection of a clone of a real client device if at least part of the covert identifier in the message does not match the covert identifier stored for the client device at the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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17. A method of renewing subscriber client devices on a network, comprising:
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creating a covert identifier at a client device based on operational events at the client device; receiving a service renewal message at the client device; providing the covert identifier to the service provider in response to the service renewal message; receiving a renewal code message at the client device over the network, the renewal code message containing a renewal unlock code based on the covert identifier; and processing the renewal unlock code using the covert identifier to receive continued services from the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for detecting cloned client devices on a network, comprising:
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a server having a communication module which communicates with client devices over a network; a data storage module associated with the server which stores a client identifier associated with at least one real client device registered for service with the server and at least one covert identifier received from a client device having the same client identifier; and a clone detection module associated with the server and data storage module which compares at least one covert identifier in a message received from a client device with the stored covert identifier associated with the same client identifier, and which creates a clone detection report if the covert identifiers do not match. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A client device for communicating over a network, comprising:
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a communication module which communicates with at least one server over a network; a covert identifier generating module which creates at least one covert identifier based on at least one covert data value of an operational event at the client device; and a data storage module associated with the covert data generating module which stores the covert data value. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification