Security protection for a customer programmable platform

• US 20080209564A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gayde, Ruth Schaefer, Williams, Byron J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service

Abstract

A method of preventing a customer programmable device from causing security threats to itself or to a communication system is provided. The method includes establishing one or more thresholds by programming or configuring of the device, detecting whether one or more of the thresholds have been exceeded using one or more detection mechanisms, and taking action in response to each threshold that has been exceeded.

Claims

1. A method of preventing a customer programmable device from causing security threats to itself or to a communication system, the method comprising:

establishing one or more thresholds by programming or configuring of the device;

detecting whether one or more of the thresholds have been exceeded via one or more detection mechanisms; and

taking action in response to each threshold that has been exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer programmable device comprises a Service Broker which uses steplets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a threshold may comprise an individual threshold for a steplet, a system wide threshold, a system wide per steplet threshold or a system wide aggregate threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the action taken in response to a threshold being exceeded comprises writing to a Service Broker error log, killing an offending steplet and pegging a killed steplet count, writing to a security log, or declaring a security alarm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the Service Broker includes a graphical user interface for viewing the thresholds.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a threshold may comprise an individual threshold for a steplet, a system wide threshold, a system wide per steplet threshold or a system wide aggregate threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the action taken in response to a threshold being exceeded comprises writing to a Service Broker error log, killing an offending steplet and pegging a killed steplet count, writing to a security log, or declaring a security alarm.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the security threats include message spewing, looping conditions, hung steplets, and stuck messages.

9. An apparatus for securing a customer programmable device from security threats in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing one or more thresholds in the device;

means for detecting whether one or more of the thresholds have been exceeded via one or more detection mechanisms; and

means for taking action in response to each threshold that has been exceeded.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the customer programmable device comprises a Service Broker which uses steplets.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a threshold may comprise an individual threshold for a steplet, a system wide threshold, a system wide per steplet threshold or a system wide aggregate threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for writing to a Service Broker error log;

means for killing an offending steplet and pegging a killed steplet count; and

means for writing to a security log, or declaring a security alarm.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Service Broker includes a graphical user interface for viewing the thresholds.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the threshold comprises an individual threshold for a steplet, a system wide threshold, a system wide per steplet threshold or a system wide aggregate threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for writing to a Service Broker error log;

means for killing an offending steplet and pegging a killed steplet count; and

means for writing to a security log, or declaring a security alarm.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the security threats include message spewing, looping conditions, hung steplets, and stuck messages.