Network security enhancement methods, apparatuses, system, media, signals and computer programs

• US 8,838,812 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inpixon Co.
• Original Assignee: AirPatrol Corp.
• Inventors: Miller, Nicholas R., Cheng, Sheng Fu (Sunny)
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEJIA, FELICIANO S
• Application Number:
  US11/570,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,346 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 713/201, 713/200, 370/230, 370/328, 370/310, 709/223, 719/321
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A method involves causing a wireless network interface of a computing device to be disabled, in response to detection of a network connection between the computing device and a wired network. Related apparatuses, systems, computer programs, computer-readable media and signals are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing network security of a computing system that includes a processor and an information storage device and that includes at least one physical wired network adapter and that includes at least one physical wireless network adapter, the method comprising:

producing an information structure in the storage device to indicate each wired network adapter and to indicate each physical wireless network adapter included in the computing system;

wherein producing the information structure includes, in response to arrival of each network adapter in the storage device,

determining whether the arrived network adapter is associated with an attribute indicative of at least one of a wireless network adapter and a wired network adapter,

based at least in part upon an outcome of the determination, configuring the information structure to indicate whether the arrived network adapter is a wireless network adapter or a wired network adapter;

in response to detecting an arrived network adapter establishing a connection to a network, referring to the information structure to determine whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has established the detected network connection to a wired network; and

in response to a determination that a wired network adapter included in the identified in the information structure has established the network connection to the wired network, using the processor to cause each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information structure indicates a connection status for each wired adapter;

and

wherein producing the information structure further includes, in response to arrival of each network adapter in the storage device,

determining whether each arrived wired network adapter has a connection status that indicates connected.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining whether the arrived network adapter is associated with an attribute indicative of a wireless network adapter includes determining whether the arrived network adapter includes an indication that it supports a 802.11 service set object identifier (OID).

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining said establishing a network connection by monitoring Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Network Driver Interface Specification (Ndis) events.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein monitoring WMI Ndis events comprises detecting connect, disconnect, arrival and removal events.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises making calls to a SetupAPI block of Windows.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying that the physical wireless network adapter was successfully disabled, and, in response to detecting that the wireless network interface adapter failed to be disabled, taking corrective action by causing incorrect registration information relating to the wireless network interface adapter to be corrected in an operating system registry and then attempting again to disable said wireless network interface adapter.

8. The method of claim 1 further including,

in response to a determination that no wired network adapter included in the indicated in the information structure has an established network connection to a wired network, using the processor to cause each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be enabled.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether a wired network adapter has established a network connection comprises determining for each wired network adapter identified in the information structure whether a wired Ethernet network connection has been established.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a user of disablement of said wireless network interface adapter.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of causing each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled comprises calling a device installation function to cause said physical wireless network adapter to be disabled.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining whether a wired network adapter has established a network connection to a wired network includes using an adapter display name associated with a physical wired network interface adapter of said computing device to register a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) sink interface to receive notifications of Network Driver Interface Specification (Ndis) events relating to the wired network interface adapter.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the act of causing each causing physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled further comprises using a hardware identifier associated with said wireless network interface adapter as a parameter to a device installation function operable to disable said physical wireless network adapter.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of causing each physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises causing each physical wireless network adapter to be inoperable at a hardware level.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of causing each physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises implementing an operating system service.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein causing each physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises causing at least one physical wireless network adapter to be powered down.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein producing an information structure in the storage device to indicate each wired network adapter and to indicate each physical wireless network adapter included in the computing system includes producing a list of wired network adapters and a list of physical wireless adapters in the storage device.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of determining whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has established a network connection to a wired network by determining for each wired network adapter identified in the information structure whether a network connection is established includes determining whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has established an Ethernet connection.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of using the processor to cause includes using the processor to cause at least one physical 802.11 wireless network adapter identified in the information structure in the storage device to be disabled.

20. The method of claim 1,

wherein configuring the information structure to indicate whether the arrived network adapter is at least one of a wireless network adapter and a wired network adapter includes, in response to a determination that the arrived network adapter is a wired network adapter, associating a wired network adapter identifier with an indication of the network adapter in the information structure.

21. The method of claim 1,

wherein referring to the information structure to identify one or more wired network adapters includes identifying one or more wired network adapter identifiers within the information structure.

22. The method of claim 1 further including:

in response to an arrived network adapter disconnecting from the network, referring to the information structure to determine whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has a network connection to a wired network; and

in response to a determination that no wired network adapter included in the identified in the information structure has established a network connection to a wired network, using the processor to cause each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be enabled.

39. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor circuit cause all the steps of claim 1 to be carried out.

23. A system that includes a processor and an information storage device and that includes at least one physical wired network adapter and that includes at least one physical wireless network adapter, the system comprising:

means for producing an information structure in the information storage device to indicate each wired network adapter and to indicate each physical wireless network adapter included in the system;

wherein producing the information structure includes,

wherein producing the information structure includes, in response to arrival of each network adapter in the storage device,

determining whether the arrived network adapter is associated with an attribute indicative of at least one of a wireless network adapter and a wired network adapter,

based at least in part upon an outcome of the determination, configuring the information structure to indicate whether the arrived network adapter is a wireless network adapter or a wired network adapter;

means for in response to detecting an arrived network adapter establishing a connection to a network, referring to the information structure to identify one or more wired network adapters to determine whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has established the detected network connection to a wired network; and

means for causing each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled in response to a determination that a wired network adapter included in the identified in the information structure has an established network connection.

24. The system of claim 23,

wherein the information structure indicates an arrived connection status for each wired adapter;

and

wherein determining for each wired network adapter identified in the information structure whether a network connection is established includes determining whether at least one wired adapter includes a connection status that indicates connected.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said means producing includes means for determining whether the arrived network adapter is associated with an attribute that indicates that it supports a 802.11 service set object identifier (OID).

26. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for determining the establishing a connection comprises means for monitoring Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Network Driver Interface Specification (Ndis) events.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said means for monitoring WMI Ndis events comprises means for detecting Ndis connect, disconnect, arrival and removal events.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for causing the physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises means for making calls to a SetupAPI block of Windows.

29. The system of claim 23 further comprising means for verifying that the physical wireless network adapter was successfully disabled, and means for taking corrective action by causing incorrect registration information in an operating system registry and relating to the physical wireless adapter to be corrected, responsive to detecting that the physical wireless network adapter failed to be disabled.

30. The system of claim 23 further comprising means for causing each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be enabled in response to determination that no wired network adapter included in the indicated in the information structure has an established network connection to a wired network.

31. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for determining comprises means for detecting said establishing a wired connection between a wired adapter and said wired network.

32. The system of claim 23 further comprising means for notifying a user of disablement of said physical wireless network adapter.

33. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for causing each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled comprises means for calling a device installation function to cause said physical wireless network adapter to be disabled.

34. The system of claim 23 further comprising means for using an adapter display name associated with a wired Ethernet adapter of said computing device to register a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) sink interface to receive notifications of Network Driver Interface Specification (Ndis) events relating to a physical wired adapter that is a wired Ethernet adapter.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said means for causing each physical wireless network adapter to be disabled further comprises means for using a hardware identifier associated with said physical wireless network adapter, for use as a parameter to a device installation function operable to disable said physical wireless network adapter.

36. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for causing each physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises means for causing each physical wireless network adapter to be inoperable at a hardware level.

37. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for causing the said physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises means for implementing an operating system service.

38. The system of claim 23 wherein said means for causing the said physical wireless network adapter to be disabled comprises means for powering down at least one physical wireless network adapter.

40. A system for enhancing network security, the system comprising:

a computing device that includes a processor and an information storage device and that includes at least one physical wired network adapter and that includes at least one physical wireless network adapter;

wherein the processor circuit is configured to,

produce an information structure indicia in the storage device to indicate each wired network adapter and to indicate each physical wireless network adapter included in the computing system;

wherein producing the information structure includes, in response to arrival of each network adapter in the storage device,

determining whether the arrived network adapter is associated with an attribute indicative of at least one of a wireless network adapter and a wired network adapter,

based at least in part upon an outcome of the determination, configuring the information structure to indicate whether the arrived network adapter is a wireless network adapter or a wired network adapter;

in response to detecting an arrived network adapter establishing a connection to a network, referring to the information structure to determine whether a wired network adapter identified in the information structure has established the detected network connection to a wired network; and

in response to a determination that a wired network adapter included in the identified in the information structure has established the network connection to the wired network, using the processor to cause each physical wireless network adapter identified in the information structure to be disabled.