Detecting Unauthorized Devices

• US 20150295940A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Monnerat, Edward David, Patel, Mehul S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• 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 63/1466 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that, in some aspects, provide for receiving a provisioning request from a requesting device, and identifying one or more other devices proximate to or co-located with the requesting device. The methods and systems may include determining a location and other information of the one or more other devices and using the information to determine a location of and other information related to the requesting device. It may be determined whether to grant the provisioning request based on the determined location of the requesting device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a provisioning request from a requesting device;

identifying one or more other devices in proximity with the requesting device;

determining one or more locations corresponding to the one or more other devices;

using the determination of the one or more locations to determine a location of the requesting device; and

determining a response to the provisioning request based on the determined location of the requesting device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an account associated with one or more of the one or more other devices;

determining whether the account is associated with the requesting device; and

using the identification of the one or more other devices in authorizing the provisioning request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying one or more other devices further comprises:

receiving one or more messages from the one or more other devices, the messages reporting detection of the requesting device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the messages further report detection of the requesting device in connection with a local communication network at a location of the requesting device and the one or more other devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an account associated with one or more of the one or more other devices; and

determining whether the account is authorized to use the requesting device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an account associated with one or more of the one or more other devices;

determining that the account is not associated with the requesting device; and

raising an alert indicating that the requesting device is not associated with the account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying one or more other devices further comprises:

receiving an identification of the one or more other devices as part of the provisioning request.

8. A method, comprising:

connecting a computing device to a local network different from an external network;

identifying one or more other devices that are proximate to the computing device, and exchanging identification information between the computing device and the one or more other devices; and

transmitting, from the computing device, a provisioning request for service on the external network, wherein the provisioning request comprises information identifying the one or more other devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising obtaining, by the computing device, credential information from the one or more other devices, and transmitting the credential information with the provisioning request for service on the external network.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising instructing the one or more other devices to report detection of the computing device to a controller of service on the external network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the computing device is a cable modem and the local network is a coaxial network, and wherein the provisioning request is transmitted by the cable modem, and identifies the one or more other devices.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a request from the computing device to the one or more other devices, requesting that the one or more other devices transmit information identifying the computing device to a controller of the external network.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a communication from a network access computing device, the communication containing information from a local device connected with the network access computing device;

determining whether the network access computing device and the local device are associated with a same account; and

using a result of the determination to determine whether network access is authorized.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, from the network access computing device, a request for provisioning, the request including information identifying one or more other devices communicatively coupled to the network access computing device; and

using the information identifying the one or more other devices to determine whether to approve the request for provisioning.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an account associated with the local device; and

determining an account identified in the communication.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a location associated with the local device;

and

determining a location associated with the network access computing device based on the determined location associated with the local device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether to grant network access to the network access computing device based on the determined location associated with the local device.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the local device and network access computing device are not associated with the same account;

obtaining, from the communication, identification of the network access computing device; and

adding the identification of the network access computing device to a list of unauthorized devices.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a plurality of device detection messages from a plurality of different devices associated with the same account, wherein the device detection messages each include information identifying a new device that has been connected to a network of the plurality of different devices.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the plurality of device detection messages to identify unauthorized network access.