AUTOMATED SNIFFER APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for wireless communication including an automated intrusion detection process is provided. The apparatus has a portable housing, which may have a length no greater than 1 meter, a width no greater than 1 meter, and a height of no greater than 1 meter. A processing unit (e.g., CPU) is within the housing. One or more wireless network interface devices are within the housing and are coupled to the processing unit. The apparatus has an Ethernet (or like) network interface device within the housing and coupled to the processing unit. A network connector is coupled to the Ethernet network device. One or more memories are coupled to the processing unit. A code is directed to perform a process for detection of a wireless activity within a selected local geographic region. According to a specific embodiment, the wireless activity is derived from at least one authorized device or at least an other device. A code is directed to receiving at least identity information associated with the wireless activity from the detection process in a classification process. A code is directed to labeling the identity information into at least one of a plurality of categories in the classification process. Depending upon the embodiment, other codes may exist to carry out the functionality described herein.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method for monitoring for unauthorized wireless access to computer networks, the method comprising:
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monitoring wireless communications within a selected geographic region using one or more sniffer devices to at least detect an active wireless access point device that transmits wireless signals within the selected geographic region, the one or more sniffer devices being positioned within the selected geographic region;
transferring a plurality of marker packets into the computer network, the plurality of marker packets being adapted to be transferred to wireless medium from the computer network through one or more wireless access point devices which are connected to the computer network and which are configured to function as layer two bridges between their wired and wireless interfaces, the plurality of marker packets having a predetermined format, at least a subset of the one or more sniffer devices being configured to be able to identify at least a portion of the predetermined format, the transferring being actively transferring at least for a process of detection of unauthorized wireless access to the computer network;
processing using at least one of the at least the subset of the one or more sniffer devices at least a portion of the monitored wireless communications within the selected geographic region, the processing being directed to at least identifying at least one of the plurality of marker packets being transferred from the computer network to the wireless medium within the selected geographic region through the active wireless access point device, the processing including identifying the at least the portion of the predetermined format within one or more packets included in the at least the portion of the monitored wireless communications; and
determining that the active wireless access point device provides unauthorized wireless access to the computer network based at least upon the at least one of the plurality of marker packets being identified as transferred from the computer network to the wireless medium within the selected geographic region through the active wireless access point device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for monitoring for unauthorized wireless access to computer networks, the apparatus comprising:
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a wired network interface for coupling the apparatus to a computer network;
a first portion of computer memory coupled to the wired network interface, the first portion of computer memory including computer code for transferring one or more marker packets into the computer network using the wired network interface, the one or more marker packets being adapted to be transferred to wireless medium from the computer network through one or more wireless access point devices which are connected to the computer network and which are configured to function as layer two bridges between their wired and wireless interfaces, a predetermined format being associated with the one or more marker packets, the transferring being actively transferring at least for a process of detection of unauthorized wireless access to the computer network;
a wireless network interface for receiving wireless communication activity;
a second portion of computer memory coupled to the wireless network interface, the second portion of computer memory including computer code for processing at least a portion of the wireless communication activity received using the wireless network interface to identify at least one marker packet from the one or more marker packets that is transferred to the wireless medium from the computer network through a first wireless access point device; and
a third portion of computer memory including computer code for generating an indication that the first wireless access point device provides unauthorized wireless access to the computer network responsive to at least the at least one marker packet being identified. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification