NETWORK TOPOLOGY AIDED BY SMART AGENT DOWNLOAD

• US 20120222089A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Whelan, David A., Ayyagari, Arun, Gutt, Gregory M., Schmalzried, Rachel Rane'
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18593 Arrangements for preventing unauthorised access or for providing user protection arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0872 using geo-location information, e.g. location data, time, relative position or proximity to other entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for a network topology aided by a smart agent download are disclosed. The method involves authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant. The method further involves transmitting, by at least one transmission source, the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with at least one claimant. In one or more embodiments, at least one transmission source is employed in a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) Iridium satellite. Also, the method involves receiving, by at least one receiving source, the smart agent download. In addition, the method involves executing, by at least one processor, the smart agent download. Further, the method involves monitoring, by the smart agent download, network behavior. The monitoring of network behavior includes monitoring the users on the network, monitoring data passing through the network, and monitoring the quantity of data passing through the network.

Claims

1. A method for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the method comprising:

authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant;

transmitting, by at least one transmission source, the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with the at least one claimant;

receiving, by the at least one receiving source, the smart agent download;

executing, by at least one processor, the smart agent download; and

monitoring, by the smart agent download, network behavior.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one authenticator device authenticates the at least one claimant by evaluating at least one authentication signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one authentication signal is transmitted by the at least one transmission source, and is received by the at least one receiving source.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted from a same transmission source.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted from different transmission sources.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted on a same frequency.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted on different frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one claimant is at least one of an entity and a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission source is employed in at least one of at least one satellite and at least one pseudo-satellite.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the claimant is at least one of stationary and mobile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the smart agent download in memory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring network behavior includes at least one of:

monitoring usage of at least one device associated with the at least one claimant,

monitoring location of the at least one device;

monitoring users on the network;

monitoring data passing through the network; and

monitoring quantity of the data passing through the network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating, by the at least one processor, the network behavior; and

triggering a specific task to be executed when the processor determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, by a transmission device associated with the at least one claimant, the network behavior to a network operations center;

evaluating, by at least one processor at the network operations center, the network behavior; and

triggering a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor at the network operations center determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

16. A system for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the system comprising:

at least one authenticator device for authenticating at least one claimant;

at least one transmission source for transmitting the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with the at least one claimant;

at least one receiving source for receiving the smart agent download; and

at least one processor for executing the smart agent download,

wherein the smart agent download, when executed, is for monitoring network behavior.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one authenticator device is configured to authenticate the at least one claimant by evaluating at least one authentication signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one authentication signal is transmitted by the at least one transmission source, and is received by the at least one receiving source.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transmission source is employed in at least one of at least one satellite and at least one pseudo-satellite.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein, for monitoring network behavior, the smart agent download is configured for at least one of:

monitoring usage of at least one device associated with the at least one claimant,

monitoring location of the at least one device;

monitoring users on the network;

monitoring data passing through the network; and

monitoring quantity of the data passing through the network.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is also for evaluating the network behavior, and

the smart agent download is also for triggering a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the system further comprises:

a transmission device associated with the at least one claimant for transmitting the network behavior to a network operations center; and

at least one processor at the network operations center for evaluating the network behavior,

wherein the smart agent download is for triggering a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor at the network operations center determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

24. An apparatus for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the apparatus comprising:

at least one authenticator device for authenticating at least one claimant associated with the apparatus;

at least one receiving source for receiving the smart agent download;

memory for storing the smart agent download; and

at least one processor for executing the smart agent download,

wherein the smart agent download, when executed, is for monitoring network behavior.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus further comprises a transmission source for transmitting the network behavior.