Third party VPN certification

• US 7,944,915 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Virtnetx Incorporated
• Inventors: Larson, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A
• Application Number:
  US11/840,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/64 Self-signed certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• 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 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A virtual private network (VPN) over a telecommunications network is created by sending a request from a first VPN device to a second VPN device for establishing a VPN between the first and second VPN devices. The request includes a first signed certificate having a verified VPN parameter for the first VPN device. A reply is received at the first VPN device from the second VPN device that includes a second signed certificate having a verified VPN parameter for the second VPN device. The VPN is established between the first and second VPN devices based on each verified VPN parameter for each of the first and second VPN devices.

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtual private network (VPN) over a telecommunications network, comprising steps of:

receiving at a certification authority a certificate request for a VPN device connected to the telecommunications network, the certificate request including at least one VPN parameter that will be used for establishing a VPN over the telecommunications network;

verifying at the certification authority each VPN parameter contained in the certificate request; and

sending a signed certification to the VPN device when each VPN parameter contained in the certificate request is verified;

wherein the certificate request includes a range of telecommunications network addresses that the VPN device will use for VPNs established through the VPN device; and

wherein the step of verifying verifies the range of telecommunications network addresses contained in the certificate request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network is the Internet.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-readable instructions for performing steps of:

receiving at a certification authority a certificate request for a VPN device connected to the telecommunications network, the certificate request including at least one VPN parameter that will be used for establishing a VPN over the telecommunications network;

verifying at the certification authority each VPN parameter contained in the certificate request; and

sending a signed certification to the VPN device when each VPN parameter contained in the certificate request is verified;

wherein the certificate request includes a range of telecommunications network addresses that the VPN device will use for VPNs established through the VPN device;

and wherein the step of verifying verifies the range of telecommunications network addresses contained in the certificate request.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the telecommunications network is the Internet.