SYSTEM AND METHOD EMPLOYING AN AGILE NETWORK PROTOCOL FOR SECURE COMMUNICATIONS USING SECURE DOMAIN NAMES

• US 20120102206A1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Larson, Victor, Short, Robert Dunham III, Williamson, Michael, Munger, Edmond Colby
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 : Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 : applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 : Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 : Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 : Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 : at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

A client device comprises: (a) a memory, (b) an application program, and (c) a signal processing configuration. The memory is configured and arranged to facilitate a connection of the client device with a target device over a secure communication link created based on (i) an address request generated by the client device, and (ii) a determination as a result of the address request that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the requested address is identified in an address lookup. The application program is configured and arranged so as to allow participation in audio/video communications with the target device over the secure communication link once the secure communication link is established. The signal processing configuration is arranged to execute the application program.

Claims

1. A client device comprising:

(a) memory configured and arranged to facilitate a connection of the client device with a target device over a secure communication link created based on (i) an address request generated by the client device, and (ii) a determination as a result of the address request that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the requested address is identified in an address lookup;

(b) an application program configured and arranged so as to allow participation in audio/video communications with the target device over the secure communication link once the secure communication link is established; and

(c) a signal processing configuration arranged to execute the application program.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device is a computer.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device is a phone.

4. The client device of claim 3, wherein the establishment of the secure communication link is based on a determination being made by a server that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the address request corresponds to a target device identified in the address lookup.

5. The client device of claim 4, wherein the address lookup is a network address lookup.

6. The client device of claim 3, wherein the secure communication link is a virtual private network link.

7. The client device of claim 3, wherein the address request includes a secure domain name.

8. The client device of claim 3, wherein the address request includes a domain name, and the establishment of the secure communication link is based on the determination being made by a proxy module that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the secure domain name corresponds to a target device identified in a DNS lookup table.

9. The client device of claim 3, wherein the secure communication link is a broadband connection.

10. The client device of claim 3, wherein the secure communication link is a modulated transmission link.

11. The client device of claim 3, where the secure communication link supports at least one of the following:

FTM, TDM and CDMA.

12. The client device of claim 3, wherein the secure communication link supports TCP/IP protocols

13. The client device of claim 3, wherein the target device is a server.

14. The client device of claim 3, wherein the target device is a computer.

15. The client device of claim 3, wherein the target device is a phone.

16. A method executed by a client device for communicating with a target device, the method comprising:

(a) facilitating a connection with the target device over a secure communication link created based on (i) an address request generated by the client device, and (ii) a determination as a result of the address request that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the requested address is identified in an address lookup; and

(b) allowing participation in audio/video communications with the target device over the secure communication link once the secure communication link is established.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the client device is a computer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the client device is a phone.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the address lookup is a network address lookup.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the establishment of the secure communication link is based on a determination being made by a server that the target device is a device with which a secure communication link can be established when the address request corresponds to a target device identified in the address lookup.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is a virtual private network link.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the address request includes a secure domain name.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is a broadband connection.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is an unmodulated transmission link.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure communication link is a modulated transmission link.

26. The method of claim 16, where the secure communication link supports at least one of the following:

FTM, TDM and CDMA.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure communication link supports TCP/IP protocols

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the target device is a server.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the target device is a computer.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the target device is a phone.