Multi-network virus immunization with separate physical path

• US 8,146,161 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Wood, JR., Lowell L., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHEHNI, GHAZAL B
• Application Number:
  US11/492,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20070256129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 726/24
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that determine a virus associated with a communications network, and distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of a higher transmission speed, a higher transmission reliability, a higher transmission security, and/or a physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network.

Claims

1. A method at least partially implemented using a processing device, comprising:

determining a virus associated with a communications network; and

distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network,

The bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, wherein the distributing comprises providing the anti-viral agent to the communications network based on a determination of a potential path of the virus, the determination based on a topological analysis of the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

detecting an effect of the virus with respect to the communications network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

receiving a notification of the virus from a virus detection program; and

determining the virus, based on the notification.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining a fault pattern associated with the virus and/or with the communications network; and

determining the virus, based on the fault pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

performing a comparison of an expected characteristic of the communications network with an actual characteristic of the communications network; and

determining the virus, based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining the virus associated with the communications network, the communications network including an entity-assured network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

determining the virus associated with the communications network, the communications network including a subset of a larger network, and provided in association with the larger network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

providing the anti-viral agent to a network device of the communications network in advance of an infection of the network device by the virus, using the bypass network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

providing a reference to the anti-viral agent to a network device of the communications network, wherein the reference provides access to the anti-viral agent.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is at least partially logically separate from the communications network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with an entity sponsorship thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate further transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with sponsorship by an entity, the sponsorship including assurance and/or provision of the transmission of the anti-viral agent with the at least one of the higher transmission speed, the higher transmission reliability, the higher transmission security, and/or the physically-separate transmission path.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network device that is in communications with both the communications network and the bypass network.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to prioritize transmission of the anti-viral agent with respect to communications data of the communications network.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to suppress and/or delay transmission of the virus relative to transmission of the anti-viral agent.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

a local area network, a virtual local area network, a virtual private network, a peer-to-peer network, and/or an intranet.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

a satellite network, a satellite radio network, a cellular network, and/or a paging network.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission reliability wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more reliable point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, the bypass network is configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission reliability wherein they bypass network is configured to provide a more reliable end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent using a bypass transmission with a greater quality of service (QoS) than the communication network.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of;

a lesser number of dropped packets, a shorter delay, a lesser likelihood of out-of-order delivery, and/or fewer errors than the communications network.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent to the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a higher level of data encryption than that provided by the communications network.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device than the communications network.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device using a physically-separate path from that used by the communications network to transmit the virus from the first network device to the second network device.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network further comprises:

distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent over a physically-separate network path than that used by the communications network to transmit the virus.

28. A computer program product comprising:

A non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing at least one of

(a) one or more instructions for determining a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) one or more instructions for distributing a anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, wherein the distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network is based on a determination of a potential path of the virus, wherein the determination includes a statistical analysis of the determination.

29. A system comprising:

a computer device, and

Instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to

(a) determine a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, wherein the distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network is based on a determination of a potential path of the virus, wherein the determination includes a statistical analysis of the determination.

30. A device comprising:

a multi-network virus immunization system, the multi-network virus immunization system comprising

(a) a network monitor operable to determine a virus associated with a communications network, and

(b) a response generator operable to;

select an anti-viral agent from more than one possible anti-viral agents, the selection based upon one or more response rules; and

distribute the anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to;

provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, and

provide a more secure point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent between a first network device and a second network device.

31. The device of claim 30 wherein the response generator is further operable to implement the one or more response rules associated with determining the anti-viral agent and providing the anti-viral agent to the communications system using the bypass network.