SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A COMMUNICATION LINK

• US 20170063799A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: LARSON, Victor, SHORT, Robert Dunham III, MUNGER, Edmund Colby, WILLIAMSON, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/200,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20170063799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• 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 61/35 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 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• 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 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• 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 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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 63/0884 : by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a Domain Name Service (DNS) request comprising a domain name, determining that the DNS request corresponds to a first computer configured to communicate securely, and sending, based on the determination, a request to establish a communication link with the first computer configured to communicate securely, the request including an identifier of a client device used to determine whether the client device is authorized to communicate with the first computer. The method includes receiving, in response to the request to establish the communication link, a resource used to establish the communication link, wherein the resource corresponds to a qualify of service level for the communication link, determining, in response to the request to establish a communication link, whether a software module for communicating securely requires installation on the client device, and if it is determined that the software module requires installation on the client device: accessing a network address for downloading the software module, downloading the software module, and installing the software module on the client device. The method also includes automatically establishing the communication link having the quality of service level using the received resource communicating securely with the first computer over the established communication link having the quality of service, wherein the communication link passes through one or more intermediate devices that provide anonymity of at least one of the client device and the first computer, and client device is a user device.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of establishing a communication link, comprising:

generating a Domain Name Service (DNS) request comprising a domain name;

determining that the DNS request corresponds to a first computer configured to communicate securely;

sending, based on the determination, a request to establish a communication link with the first computer configured to communicate securely, the request including an identifier of a client device used to determine whether the client device is authorized to communicate with the first computer;

receiving, in response to the request to establish the communication link, a resource used to establish the communication link, wherein the resource corresponds to a qualify of service level for the communication link;

determining, in response to the request to establish a communication link, whether a software module for communicating securely requires installation on the client device;

if it is determined that the software module requires installation on the client device;

accessing a network address for downloading the software module,

downloading the software module, and

installing the software module on the client device;

automatically establishing the communication link having the quality of service level using the received resource; and

communicating securely with the first computer over the established communication link having the quality of service, wherein the communication link passes through one or more intermediate devices that provide anonymity of at least one of the client device and the first computer, and client device is a user device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the resource is obtained from a second computer that is separate from the first computer.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the resource includes at least one random or pseudorandom value used to establish the communication link.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the communication link is a communication link between the client device and the first computer in a virtual private network (VPN).

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the client device identifier is an IP address.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein communicating includes using modulation.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the modulation is based on one of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), time-division multiplexing (TDM), or code division multiple access (CDMA).

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the client device includes a mobile device.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a request for proof that the client device is authorized to access the first computer; and

sending the requested proof that the client device is authorized to access the first computer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the request for proof is generated by a second computer that is separate from the first computer.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the requested proof is sent to a second computer that is separate from the first computer to determine whether the client device is authorized to access the first computer.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the DNS request is a request for an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the domain name.

53. The method of claim 29, wherein the communication link is encrypted.

54. The method of claim 29, wherein the communication link is a secure communication link.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the secure communication link provides anonymity of at least the client device or the first computer.

41. A client device for establishing a communication link, comprising:

a storage device configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to;

generate a Domain Name Service (DNS) request comprising a domain name;

determine that the DNS request corresponds to a first computer configured to communicate securely;

send, based the determination, a request to establish a communication link with the first computer, the request including an identifier of the client device used to determine whether the client device is authorized to communicate with the first computer;

receive, in response to the request to establish the communication link, a resource used to establish the communication link, wherein the resource corresponds to a qualify of service level for the communication link;

store the received resource in the storage device;

determine, in response to the request to establish the communication link, whether a software module for communicating securely requires installation on the client device;

if it is determined that the software module requires installation on the client device;

access a network address for downloading the software module,

download the software module, and

install the software module on the client device;

automatically establish the communication link having the quality of service level using the received resource; and

communicate securely with the first computer over the established communication link having the quality of service level, wherein the communication link passes through one or more intermediate devices that provide anonymity of at least one of the client device and the first computer, and the client device is a user device.

42. The client device of claim 41, wherein the resource is obtained from a second computer that is separate from the first computer.

43. The client device of claim 41, wherein the resource includes at least one random or pseudorandom value used to establish the communication link.

44. The client device of claim 41, wherein the communication link is a communication link between the client device and the first computer in a virtual private network (VPN).

45. The client device of claim 41, wherein the client device identifier is an IP address.

46. The client device of claim 41, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to communicate with the first computer using modulation.

47. The client device of claim 46, wherein the modulation is based on one of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), time-division multiplexing (TDM), and code division multiple access (CDMA).

48. The client device of claim 41, wherein the client device includes a mobile device.

49. The client device of claim 41, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a request for proof that the client device is authorized to access the first computer; and

send the requested proof that the client device is authorized to access the first computer.

50. The client device of claim 49, wherein the request for proof is generated by a second computer that is separate from the first computer.

51. The client device of claim 49, wherein the requested proof is sent to a second computer that is separate from the first computer to determine whether the client device is authorized to access the first computer.

52. The client device of claim 41, wherein the DNS request is a request for an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the domain name.

56. The client device of claim 41, wherein the communication link is encrypted.

57. The client device of claim 41, wherein the communication link is a secure communication link.

58. The client device of claim 57, wherein the secure communication link provides anonymity of at least the client device or the first computer.