Trusted network interface

• US 8,627,060 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Hart, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/431,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 713/153, 713/156, 726/22
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/144 Detection or countermeasures against botnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

Systems and methods for combating and thwarting attacks by cybercriminals are provided. Network security appliances interposed between computer systems and public networks, such as the Internet, are configured to perform defensive and/or offensive actions against botnets and/or other cyber threats. According to some embodiments, network security appliances may be configured to perform coordinated defensive and/or offensive actions with other network security appliances.

Claims

1. A method for operating a trusted network interface for monitoring network traffic passing through a plurality of network security appliances, comprising:

receiving, at a management system, warrant information that is derived from a judicial warrant, and comprises;

a judicially executable action that is executable only with approval, wherein the judicially executable action includes authorization for participating in a denial of service attack;

an approval from the judicial warrant to execute the judicially executable action; and

an identification of at least some of the plurality of network security appliances each to execute the judicially executable action;

wherein the judicial warrant satisfies legal requirements approving an act to be performed;

generating a control command instructing the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances identified in the warrant information to execute the judicially executable action in an orchestrated manner according to a coordinated plan of action;

digitally signing the control command with a digital certificate associated with the management system;

encrypting the digitally signed control command;

transmitting the digitally signed and encrypted control command to the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances identified in the warrant information; and

receiving confirmation from the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances that the judicially executable action has been executed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the warrant information received at the management system is digitally signed and encrypted by a judicial control system that stores and authenticates the warrant information.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising;

receiving, at the judicial control system, an audit request from a public audit system; and

in response to the audit request, providing audit information from the judicial control system to the public audit system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the audit request is digitally signed and encrypted by the public audit system, and wherein the audit information is digitally signed and encrypted by the judicial control system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the network security appliance is interposed between a computer system and a public network, and wherein all network traffic between the computer system and the public network passes through the network security appliance.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the warrant information specifies an identifier associated with the network security appliance that uniquely identifies the network security appliance.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the identifier associated with the network security appliance is an internet protocol (IP) address of the computer system associated with the network security appliance.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the judicially executable action includes providing data traffic information gathered by the security appliance to the management system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the judicially executable action includes providing a copy of data traffic passing through the security appliance to the management system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the judicially executable action includes performing one or more justifiable preventative measures that would otherwise be legally disallowed without the approval in the warrant information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the judicially executable action includes performing one or more justifiable proactive measures that would otherwise be legally disallowed without the approval in the warrant information.

12. A computer network comprising:

a plurality of network security appliances, each network security appliance being interposed between a computer system and a public network;

a management system configured to transmit control commands to the plurality of network security appliances via a public network;

a judicial control system configured to;

receive warrant information that is derived from a judicial warrant, and comprises;

a judicially executable action that is executable only with approval, wherein the judicially executable action includes authorization for participating in a denial of service attack;

an approval from the judicial warrant to execute the judicially executable action; and

an identification of at least some of the plurality of network security appliances to execute the judicially executable action;

wherein the judicial warrant satisfies legal requirements approving an act to be performed;

digitally sign and encrypt the warrant information; and

transmit the digitally signed and encrypted warrant information to the management system;

wherein the management system is configured to transmit a control command to the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances identified in the warrant information received from the judicial control system, the control command instructing the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances to execute the judicially executable action in an orchestrated manner according to a coordinated plan of action; and

wherein the management system is configured to receive confirmation from the at least some of the plurality of network security appliances that the judicially executable action has been executed.

13. The computer network of claim 12 further comprising:

a public audit system configured to transmit an audit request to the judicial control system; and

wherein the judicial control system is further configured to receive the audit request from the public audit system and to provide audit information to the public audit system in response to the audit request.

14. The computer network of claim 13 wherein the audit request is digitally signed and encrypted by the public audit system, and wherein the audit information is digitally signed and encrypted by the judicial control system.

15. The computer network of claim 12 wherein all network traffic between the computer system and the public network that the network security appliance is interposed between passes through the network security appliance.

16. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the warrant information specifies an identifier associated with the network security appliance that uniquely identifies the network security appliance.

17. The computer network of claim 16 wherein the identifier associated with the network security appliance is an internet protocol (IP) address of the computer system associated with the network security appliance.

18. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the judicially executable action includes providing data traffic information gathered by the security appliance to the management system.

19. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the judicially executable action includes providing a copy of data traffic passing through the security appliance to the management system.

20. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the judicially executable action includes performing one or more justifiable preventative measures that would otherwise be legally disallowed without the approval in the warrant information.

21. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the judicially executable action includes performing one or more justifiable proactive measures that would otherwise be legally disallowed without the approval in the warrant information.

22. A method for preventing malicious cyber-attacks, the method comprising:

receiving, at a management system, warrant information that is derived from a judicial warrant, wherein the judicial warrant satisfies legal requirements approving an act to be performed, said act to be performed only with approval, wherein the judicial warrant comprises an approval to order a plurality of network security appliances to perform a denial of service attack carried out according to a coordinated plan of action, wherein each of the plurality of network security appliances;

is interposed between a computer system and a public network; and

is configured to monitor data passing between the computer system and the public network; and

wherein the denial of service attack prevents at least some data from passing between at least one of the computers and the public network that at least one of the plurality of network security appliances is interposed between;

instructing, in an orchestrated manner and from the management system, the plurality of network security appliances to carry out the denial of service attack in a manner consistent with the warrant information, wherein instructing in an orchestrated manner comprises;

generating a control command instructing the plurality of network security appliances to perform the denial of service attack;

encrypting the digitally signed control command; and

transmitting the digitally signed and encrypted control command to the plurality of network security appliances; and

receiving confirmation from at least some of the plurality of network security appliances that the denial of service attack has been performed.