Multi-network virus immunization with trust aspects

• US 20070256130A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D., Wood, Lowell L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are describe that determine a virus associated with a communications network, and distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of a higher transmission speed, a higher transmission reliability, a higher transmission security, and/or a physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a virus associated with a communications network; and

distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

detecting an effect of the virus with respect to the communications network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

receiving a notification of the virus from a virus detection program; and

determining the virus, based on the notification.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining a fault pattern associated with the virus and/or with the communications network; and

determining the virus, based on the fault pattern.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

performing a comparison of an expected characteristic of the communications network with an actual characteristic of the communications network; and

determining the virus, based on the comparison.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining the virus associated with the communications network, the communications network including an entity-assured network.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining the virus associated with the communications network, the communications network including a subset of a larger network, and provided in association with the larger network.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

providing the anti-viral agent to a network device of the communications network in advance of an infection of the network device by the virus, using the bypass network.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

providing a reference to the anti-viral agent to a network device of the communications network, wherein the reference provides access to the anti-viral agent.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is at least partially logically separate from the communications network.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with an entity sponsorship thereof.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with sponsorship by an entity, the sponsorship including assurance and/or provision of the transmission of the anti-viral agent with the at least one of a higher transmission speed, a higher transmission reliability, the higher transmission security, and/or a physically-separate transmission path.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network device that is in communications with both the communications network and the bypass network.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to prioritize transmission of the anti-viral agent with respect to communications data of the communications network.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to suppress and/or delay transmission of the virus relative to transmission of the anti-viral agent.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

a virtual local area network, a virtual private network, a peer-to-peer network, and/or an intranet.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

a satellite network, a satellite radio network, a cellular network, and/or a paging network.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

providing the anti-viral agent to at least one network device of the communications network that is ahead of a propagation path of the virus on the communications network.

45. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

providing the anti-viral agent to the communications network based on a determination of a potential path of the virus, the determination based on a topological analysis of the communications network.

46. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a competitive propagation of the anti-viral agent with respect to the virus.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network based on a determination of a potential path of the virus, wherein the determination includes a statistical analysis of the determination.

52. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission reliability wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more reliable point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

53. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission reliability wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more reliable end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

54. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a transmission of the anti-viral agent with a greater quality of service (QoS) than the communications network.

55. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of;

a lesser number of dropped packets, a shorter delay, a lesser likelihood of out-of-order delivery, and/or fewer errors than the communications network.

56. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent to the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a higher level of data encryption than that provided by the communications network.

57. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

58. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

59. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device using a physically-separate path from that used by the communications network to transmit the virus from the first network device to the second network device.

60. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent over a physically-separate network path than that used by the communications network to transmit the virus.

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61. A computer program product comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing;

(a) one or more instructions for determining a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) one or more instructions for distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

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65. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to

(a) determine a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

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68. A device comprising:

a multi-network virus immunization system, the multi-network virus immunization system comprising

(a) a network monitor operable to determine a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) a response generator operable to distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

70. The device of claim 68 wherein the response generator is operable to implement response rules associated with determining the anti-viral agent and providing the anti-viral agent to the communications system using the bypass network.

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