System and methods for trusted internet domain networking

• US 8,752,140 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Paczkowski, Lyle W., Parsel, William M., Persson, Carl J., Schlesener, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, BRIAN F
• Application Number:
  US13/610,856
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/3, 726/4, 726/5, 713/168, 713/170
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24

Abstract

A method of performing a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCPT). The method comprises receiving a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message, wherein the request message was created in and transmitted from a trusted security zone of a computing device, and wherein the request message requests an internet protocol (IP) address and routing information for the computing device, allocating an internet protocol address and determining routing information for the computing device, wherein the allocating and determining are performed by a dynamic host configuration protocol server while executing in a trusted security zone of the server, and transmitting the internet protocol address and routing information to the computing device over a trusted end-to-end communication link.

Claims

1. A method of performing a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCPT), comprising:

receiving a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message and a trust token associated with the request message from a computing device, wherein the request message was created in and transmitted from a trusted security zone of the computing device, wherein the request message requests a trusted internet protocol (IP) address and trusted internet domain routing information for the computing device, and wherein the trusted security zone of the computing device is implemented in a processor chipset of the computing device and the trusted security zone of the computing device comprises a trusted execution environment and a secure partition of hardware and software resources;

in response to determining the computing device has the trusted security zone and in response to confirming a continuity of trust of the request message based on examining the trust token associated with the request message to verify the trust token associated with the request message was created in and transmitted from the trusted security zone of the computing device, allocating a trusted internet protocol address and determining trusted internet domain routing information for the computing device, wherein the allocating and determining are performed by a dynamic host configuration protocol server executing in a trusted security zone of the server; and

transmitting a response message comprising the trusted internet protocol address and trusted internet domain routing information and a trust token associated with the response message to the computing device over a trusted end-to-end communication link,

wherein a continuity of trust of the response message is confirmed based on examining the trust token associated with the response message before the computing device is configured based on the response message,

wherein the trusted internet protocol address is one of a plurality of trusted internet protocol addresses that are not accessible to computing devices that are not coupled to a trusted internet domain, and

wherein the trusted internet domain routing information comprises trusted internet protocol addresses of trusted network nodes that promote routing in the trusted internet domain,

receiving a non-trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message from a second computing device; and

in response to determining the non-trusted request message was not created in and sent from a trusted security zone of the second computing device, sending an invitation to send a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message, to the second computing device, or transmitting a second internet protocol address and second routing information to the second computing device over a non-trusted communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of hosts coupled to the trusted internet domain is configured with trusted internet protocol addresses.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted internet protocol addresses are not numerically adjacent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted internet domain routing information comprises a trusted internet protocol address associated with a trusted domain name system (DNST) server that translates both trusted internet domain names and normal internet domain names.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted internet domain routing information comprises a trusted internet protocol address associated with a trusted domain name system (DNST) server that translates trusted internet domain names and that does not translate normal internet domain names.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted security zone of the server comprises a trusted execution environment and a secure partition of hardware and software resources.

7. A method of performing a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCPT), comprising:

receiving a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message and a trust token associated with the request message from a computing device, wherein the request message was created in and transmitted from a trusted security zone of the computing device, wherein the request message requests an internet protocol (IP) address and routing information for the computing device, and wherein the trusted security zone of the computing device is implemented in a processor chipset of the computing device and the trusted security zone of the computing device comprises a trusted execution environment and a secure partition of hardware and software resources;

in response to determining the computing device has the trusted security zone and in response to confirming a continuity of trust of the request message based on examining the trust token associated with the request message to verify the trust token associated with the request message was created in and transmitted from the trusted security zone of the computing device, allocating an internet protocol address and determining routing information for the computing device, wherein the allocating and determining are performed by a dynamic host configuration protocol server executing in a trusted security zone of the server;

transmitting a response message comprising the internet protocol address and routing information and a trust token associated with the response message to the computing device over a trusted end-to-end communication link, wherein a continuity of trust of the response message is confirmed based on examining the trust token associated with the response message before the computing device is configured based on the response message;

receiving a non-trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message from a second computing device; and

in response to determining the non-trusted request message was not created in and sent from a trusted security zone of the second computing device, sending an invitation to send a trusted dynamic host configuration protocol request message, to the second computing device, or transmitting a second internet protocol address and second routing information to the second computing device over a non-trusted communication link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the internet protocol address is a trusted internet protocol address that is one of a plurality of trusted internet protocol addresses that are not accessible to computing devices that are not connected to a trusted internet domain.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the routing information is trusted internet domain routing information that comprises trusted internet protocol addresses of trusted network nodes that promote routing in the trusted internet domain.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the trusted internet domain routing information comprises the trusted internet protocol address of a trusted domain name system (DNST) server.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the trusted security zone of the server comprises a trusted execution environment and a secure partition of hardware and software resources.