Network access protection

• US 20070234040A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hurst, Ryan M., Mayfield, Paul G., Manaktala, Ekta H., Kamath, Vivek P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A method is provided for use in a computer system including a client and a health registration authority. The health registration authority is configured to accept requests for assertions, and the client has a health state described by at least one health claim. The method may include an act of including an indication of the at least one health claim of the client in a request for an assertion. A second method is provided for use in a computer system comprising a client, an assertion authority, and a plurality of health policies. The method can include an act of including an indication of at least one health policy that the health claim of the client satisfies in an assertion.

Claims

1. A method for use in a computer system comprising a client and a health registration authority, the health registration authority being configured to accept requests for assertions, the client having a health state described by at least one health claim, the method comprising an act of:

(A) including an indication of the at least one health claim of the client in a request for an assertion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assertion comprises a certificate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the certificate comprises an X.509 certificate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

(B) sending the request for the assertion, created in act (A), to the health registration authority.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the computer system further comprises a plurality of health policies, and wherein the method further comprises acts of:

(C) receiving the request for the assertion sent in act (B); and

(D) after act (C), determining at least one health policy of the plurality of health policies that the at least one health claim of the client satisfies.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising an act of:

(E) including an indication of the at least one health policy that the at least one health claim of the client satisfies in a second request for an assertion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein act (E) comprises including the indication of the at least one health policy that the at least one health claim of the client satisfies in an extended key usage extension of the second request for the assertion.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein act (E) comprises including the indication of the at least one health policy that the at least one health claim of the client satisfies in a policy extension field of the second request for the assertion.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 1.

10. A method for use in a computer system comprising a client and an assertion authority, the assertion authority configured to generate assertions associated with the client, the client having a health state described by at least one health claim, the computer system further comprising a plurality of health policies, the health claim of the client satisfying at least one health policy of the plurality of policies, the method comprising an act of:

(A) including an indication of the at least one health policy that the health claim of the client satisfies in an assertion.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein act (A) comprises including an indication of the at least one health policy that the health claim of the client satisfies in an extended key usage extension of the assertion.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein act (A) comprises including an indication of the at least one health policy that the health claim of the client satisfies in a policy extension field of the assertion.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 10.

11. The method of 10, wherein the assertion comprises a certificate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the certificate comprises an X.509 certificate.

16. At least one computer for use with a computer system comprising a client having a health state described by at least one health claim, the computer system further comprising a plurality of health policies, the health claim of the client satisfying at least one health policy of the plurality of policies, the at least one computer comprising at least on processor programmed to:

include an indication of the at least one health policy that the at least one health claim of the client satisfies in a request for an assertion.

17. The at least on computer of claim 16, wherein the assertion comprises a certificate.

18. The at least on computer of claim 16, wherein the at least on processor is further programmed to:

include an indication of the at least one health policy that the health claim of the client satisfies in an assertion.

19. The at least one computer of claim 18, wherein the assertion comprises a certificate.

20. The at least one computer of claim 19, wherein the certificate comprises an X.509 certificate.