Network watermark
First Claim
1. A network communications method utilizing a network watermark process, the network watermark process comprising the step of creating a verifiable communications path through a network of nodes between a first end node and a second end node, the verifiable communications path being collectively created,(a) by the first end node performing the step of sending a communication including a class identifier of the first end node and an identification of the second end node to an immediately succeeding node in the verifiable communications path;
- (b) by each respective intermediate node, if any, between the first end node and the second end node in the verifiable communications path, performing the steps of,(i) receiving a communication from an immediately preceding node, the communication including the class identifier and respective first path data,(ii) verifying the communication that is received from the immediately preceding node using first maintained class rules corresponding to the class identifier, and(iii) upon successful verification of the communication from the immediately preceding node, sending a communication to an immediately succeeding node of the respective intermediate node, the communication including the class identifier and respective second path data that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the respective intermediate node; and
(c) by the second end node performing the steps of,(i) receiving a communication from the immediately preceding node, the communication including the class identifier and path information that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the immediately preceding node,(ii) verifying the communication that is received from the immediately preceding node using class rules corresponding to the class identifier that are maintained by the second end node, and(iii) validating the communications path through the network of nodes between the first end node and the second end node.
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Abstract
A network communications method utilizing a network watermark for providing security in the communications includes creating a verifiable network communications path of nodes through a network for the transfer of information from a first end node to a second end node; verifying the network communications path of nodes, by the first end node, before communicating by the first end node information intended for receipt by the second end node; and once the network communications path of nodes is verified by the first end node, communicating by the first end node, via the verified communications path of nodes, the information intended for receipt by the second end node; wherein the network watermark represents the verifiable network communications path of nodes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A network communications method utilizing a network watermark process, the network watermark process comprising the step of creating a verifiable communications path through a network of nodes between a first end node and a second end node, the verifiable communications path being collectively created,
(a) by the first end node performing the step of sending a communication including a class identifier of the first end node and an identification of the second end node to an immediately succeeding node in the verifiable communications path; -
(b) by each respective intermediate node, if any, between the first end node and the second end node in the verifiable communications path, performing the steps of, (i) receiving a communication from an immediately preceding node, the communication including the class identifier and respective first path data, (ii) verifying the communication that is received from the immediately preceding node using first maintained class rules corresponding to the class identifier, and (iii) upon successful verification of the communication from the immediately preceding node, sending a communication to an immediately succeeding node of the respective intermediate node, the communication including the class identifier and respective second path data that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the respective intermediate node; and (c) by the second end node performing the steps of, (i) receiving a communication from the immediately preceding node, the communication including the class identifier and path information that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the immediately preceding node, (ii) verifying the communication that is received from the immediately preceding node using class rules corresponding to the class identifier that are maintained by the second end node, and (iii) validating the communications path through the network of nodes between the first end node and the second end node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A network communications method utilizing a network watermark process, the network watermark process comprising the step of creating a verifiable communications path through a network of nodes between a first end node and a second end node, the verifiable communications path being collectively created,
(a) by the first end node performing the step of sending a communication including a class identifier of the first end node and an identification of the second end node to an immediately succeeding node in the verifiable communications path; -
(b) by each respective intermediate node, if any, between the first end node and the second end node in the verifiable communications path, performing the steps of, (i) receiving a communication from an immediately preceding node, the communication including a respective first class identifier and respective first path data, (ii) verifying the communication that is received by the respective intermediate node from the immediately preceding node using class rules corresponding to the respective first class identifier that are maintained by the respective intermediate node, and (iii) upon successful verification of the communication from the immediately preceding node by the respective intermediate node, sending by the respective intermediate node a communication to an immediately succeeding node, the communication including a respective second class identifier and respective second path data that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the respective intermediate node; and (c) by the second end node performing the steps of, (i) receiving a communication from the immediately preceding node, the communication including class information and path information that at least identifies a network communications path from the first end node to the immediately preceding node, (ii) verifying the communication that is received from the immediately preceding node using class rules corresponding to the class information that are maintained by the second end node, and (iii) validating the communications path through the network of nodes between the first end node and the second end node. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A network communications method utilizing a network watermark process, the network watermark process comprising the step of creating a verifiable communications path through a network of nodes between a first end node and a second end node, the verifiable communications path being collectively created,
(a) by the first end node performing the steps of, (i) communicating a first handshake message to an immediately succeeding node, the first handshake message including a first passcode, (ii) receving a first handshake answer message, the first handshake answer message including a derivative passcode, (iii) verifying, utilizing a reverse lookup algorithm, that the received first derivative passcode corresponds to the communicated first passcode, (iiii) upon the successful verification of the received first derivative passcode, establishing a communications link with the immediately succeeding node; -
(b) by each respective intermediate node, if any, between the first end node and the second end node in the verifiable communications path, performing the steps of, (i) receiving, by the respective intermediate node, a respective first handshake message from an immediately preceding node, the respective first handshake message including a respective first passcode, (ii) generating, by the respective intermediate node using a function utilizing the respective first passcode as input, a respective first output derivative passcode, (iii) communicating, by the respective intermediate node, the respective first output derivative passcode to the immediately preceding node in a respective first handshake answer message, (iv) receiving, by the respective intermediate node, a communication from the immediately preceding node, (v) communicating, by the respective intermediate node, a respective second handshake message to an immediately succeeding node of the respective intermediate node, the respective second handshake message including a respective second passcode, (vi) receving, by the respective intermediate node, a respective second handshake answer message, the respective second handshake answer message including a respective second derivative passcode, (vii) verifying, by the respective intermediate node utilizing a reverse lookup algorithm, that the received respective second derivative passcode corresponds to the communicated respective second passcode, (viii) upon the successful verification of the received respective second derivative passcode, establishing a communications link with the immediately succeeding node; (c) by the second end node performing the steps of, (i) receiving a second handshake message from an immediately preceding node of the second end node, the second handshake message including a passcode, (ii) generating, using a function utilizing the passcode as input, a second output derivative passcode, (iii) communicating the second output derivative passcode to the immediately preceding node in a second handshake answer message, (iv) receiving a communication from the immediately preceding node. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification