Mobile Point-Of-Presence for On Demand Network Client Services and Security

• US 20130247188A1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tofighbakhsh, Mostafa, Wolter, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• 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: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to implementing a point-of-presence system on a mobile service network. Such a point-of-presence system includes a mobile device communications network; a mobile device; a point-of-presence logic installed on a mobile device; and an application server in communication with the point-of-presence logic via the communications network. Communications between the point-of-presence logic and the network and application server include network data, configuration, and/or installation of connection and device management applications. This point-of-presence system constitutes a mechanism for the service provider to best optimize network resources, even at the device level, while providing optimum network service to mobile users—even for mobile devices that have not been pre-configured for the mobile service network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device comprising a processor, an indication that a server is associated with an attack;

in response to receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack, monitoring, by the processor of the mobile device, network traffic; and

blocking, by the processor of the mobile device, specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the server has been detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the service is anticipated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server comprises blocking traffic associated with a specific application executing on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed to the server comprises blocking any traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attack is a distributed denial of service attack.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a plurality of user network usage statistics to a user profile maintained on an application server, and wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack in response to transmitting the plurality of user network usage statistics to the user profile.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed to the server comprises blocking traffic originating from a software radio of the mobile device and directed to the server.

9. A tangible memory having logic stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication that a server is associated with an attack;

in response to receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack, monitoring network traffic; and

blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.

10. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the server has been detected.

11. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the service is anticipated.

12. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server comprises blocking traffic associated with a specific application executing on the mobile device.

13. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed to the server comprises blocking any traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.

14. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein the attack is a distributed denial of service attack.

15. The tangible memory of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a plurality of user network usage statistics to a user profile maintained on an application server, and wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack in response to transmitting the plurality of user network usage statistics to the user profile.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising logic which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving an indication that a server is associated with an attack,

in response to receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack, monitoring network traffic, and

blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the server has been detected.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein receiving the indication that the server is associated with the attack comprises receiving the indication that the attack on the service is anticipated.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server comprises blocking traffic associated with a specific application executing on the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein blocking specific traffic of the network traffic that is directed to the server comprises blocking any traffic that is directed from the mobile device to the server.