System and method for protecting internet protocol addresses
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for protecting a host located within a computer network, the method comprising:
- mapping a public host address for a public host to a secret host address for a secret host containing data accessible over the computer network, said public host address being available from a domain name system server;
receiving a request for communication with the secret host at the public host;
forwarding said request from the public host to the secret host; and
processing said request at the secret host and communicating from the secret host over the network, wherein said communication appears to be sent from the public host;
wherein forwarding said request comprises;
determining whether an attack is consuming significant resources, if it is determined that an attack is not consuming significant resources, slowing down the forwarding of said request short of stopping the same, and if it is determined that an attack is consuming significant resources, stopping the forwarding of said request;
wherein, after stopping the forwarding of said request, said secret host notifies select clients of an address of an alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node, and attempts to track down a source of the attack, where, after the attack has stopped, the address of the alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node is replaced with the public host address;
wherein a notification that the public host is under attack is received at the secret host;
wherein a notification that the public host is congested is received at the secret host.
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Abstract
A method for protecting a host located within a computer network. The method includes mapping a public host address for a public host to a secret host address for a secret host containing data accessible over the computer network. The public host address is available from a domain name system server. The method further includes receiving a request for communication with the secret host at the public host and forwarding the request from the public host to the secret host. The request is processed at the secret host which communicates over the network and the communication appears to be sent from the public host.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for protecting a host located within a computer network, the method comprising:
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mapping a public host address for a public host to a secret host address for a secret host containing data accessible over the computer network, said public host address being available from a domain name system server;
receiving a request for communication with the secret host at the public host;
forwarding said request from the public host to the secret host; and
processing said request at the secret host and communicating from the secret host over the network, wherein said communication appears to be sent from the public host;
wherein forwarding said request comprises;
determining whether an attack is consuming significant resources, if it is determined that an attack is not consuming significant resources, slowing down the forwarding of said request short of stopping the same, and if it is determined that an attack is consuming significant resources, stopping the forwarding of said request;
wherein, after stopping the forwarding of said request, said secret host notifies select clients of an address of an alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node, and attempts to track down a source of the attack, where, after the attack has stopped, the address of the alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node is replaced with the public host address;
wherein a notification that the public host is under attack is received at the secret host;
wherein a notification that the public host is congested is received at the secret host. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer program product for protecting a host located within a computer network, comprising:
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computer code that maps a public host address for a public host to a secret host address for a secret host containing data accessible over the computer network, said public host address being available from a domain name system server;
computer code that receives a request for communication with the secret host at the public host;
computer code that forwards said request from the public host to the secret host;
computer code that processes said request at the secret host and communicates from the secret host over the network, wherein said communication appears to be sent from the public host; and
a computer-readable storage medium for storing the codes;
wherein forwarding said request comprises;
determining whether an attack is consuming significant resources, if it is determined that an attack is not consuming significant resources, slowing down the forwarding of said request short of stopping the same, and if it is determined that an attack is consuming significant resources, stopping the forwarding of said request;
wherein, after stopping the forwarding of said request, said secret host notifies select clients of an address of an alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node, and attempts to track down a source of the attack, where, after the attack has stopped, the address of the alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node is replaced with the public host address;
wherein a notification that the public host is under attack is received at the secret host;
wherein a notification that the public host is congested is received at the secret host. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for protecting a host located within a computer network, the system comprising:
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a public host having a public host address available from a DNS server; and
a secret host having a secret host address and containing data accessible over the computer network, said public host address being mapped to said secret host address;
wherein the public host is operable to forward requests received from the network to the secret host and the secret host is operable to process said requests and communicate from the secret host to the network with said communication appearing to be sent from the public host;
wherein forwarding said requests comprises;
determining whether an attack is consuming significant resources, if it is determined that an attack is not consuming significant resources, slowing down the forwarding of said requests short of stopping the same, and if it is determined that an attack is consuming significant resources, stopping the forwarding of said requests;
wherein after stopping the forwarding of said request, said secret host notifies select clients of an address of an alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node, and attempts to track down a source of the attack, where, after the attack has stopped the address of the alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node is replaced with the public host address;
wherein a notification that the public host is under attack is received at the secret host;
wherein a notification that the public host is congested is received at the secret host. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for hiding an IP address of a computer node located within a computer network, the method comprising:
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associating an IP address for a public node with an IP address of a secret node such that only the public node has access to the IP address of the secret node, said IP address for the public node being available from a DNS server;
receiving packets from the network at the public node;
forwarding said packets from the public node to the secret node; and
responding to said packets at the secret node such that a response appears to be sent from the public node rather than the secret node;
wherein the method further comprises;
determining whether an attack is consuming significant resources;
if it is determined that an attack is not consuming significant resources, slowing down the forwarding of said packets short of stopping the same;
if it is determined that an attack is consuming significant resources, stopping the forwarding of said packets;
wherein, after stopping the forwarding of said packets, said secret node requests that the DNS server replace the IP address for the public node with an IP address of an alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node, and attempts to track down a source of the attack, where, after the attack has stopped, the IP address of the alternate Post Office Box Internet Protocol (POBIP) node is replaced with the IP address for the public node;
wherein a notification that the public node is under attack is received at the secret host;
wherein a notification that the public node is congested is received at the secret host. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification