Multi-network virus immunization

• US 9,258,327 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• 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: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Wood, JR., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEHNI, GHAZAL B
• Application Number:
  US14/488,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

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 system comprising:

(a) circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network; and

(b) circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, including at least;

(1) circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

circuitry for determining a fault pattern associated with at least one of the virus or with the communications network; and

circuitry for determining the virus, based at least partially on the fault pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

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

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network comprises:

circuitry for 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.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for providing the anti-viral agent to a non-infected device of the communications network in advance of the virus reaching the non-infected device, using the bypass network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for providing a reference to the anti-viral agent to a non-infected device of the communications network, wherein the reference provides access to the anti-viral agent and wherein the reference includes at least other than the anti-viral agent itself.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is at least partially logically separate from the communications network.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with an entity sponsorship thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is associated with sponsorship by an entity, the sponsorship including at least one of assurance or provision of the transmission of the anti-viral agent with the at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the non-infected device is configured to be in communications with both the communications network and the bypass network.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via 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.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, using a network traffic management device that is operable to at least one of suppress or delay transmission of the virus relative to transmission of the anti-viral agent.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

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

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the bypass network including at least one of;

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

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for providing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device ahead of a propagation path of the virus on the communications network to the non-infected device.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one higher transmission security, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, wherein the distributing includes at least providing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network based on a determination of the potential transmission path of the virus, the determination based at least partially on a pre-existing knowledge of the communications network.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via 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 to the non-infected device than the communications network.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via 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 end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device than the communications network.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device with a greater quality of service (QoS) than the communications network.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device with at least one of;

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

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a higher level of data encryption to the non-infected device than that provided by the communications network.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device than the communications network.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide a more secure end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device than the communications network.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide point-to-point transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device using a physically-separate path from that used by the communications network to transmit the virus to the non-infected device.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network comprises:

circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, wherein the bypass network is configured to provide end-to-end transmission of the anti-viral agent to the non-infected device over a physically-separate network path than that used by the communications network to transmit the virus to the non-infected device.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for at least buffering at least some of the virus until at least some of the anti-virus agent is distributed onto the communications network.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for at least one of prohibiting, delaying, suppressing, or impeding transmission of at least some communications data on the communications network until at least some of the anti-virus agent is distributed onto the communications network.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for distributing the anti-viral agent onto the communications network at least in part by at least one of starving the virus of at least some resources, depriving the virus of at least some resources, or competing with the virus for at least some resources.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for selecting at least one distribution strategy from two or more distribution strategies for distributing the anti-viral agent on the communications network responsive at least in part to the circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for at least one of creating or selecting an anti-viral agent for distribution responsive at least in part to the circuitry for determining a virus associated with a communications network.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for at least determining at least one of a location or a procedure for injecting the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, the circuitry for distributing being operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network comprises:

circuitry for implementing rules for at least determining at least a path for distribution of the anti-viral agent.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the circuitry for implementing rules for at least determining at least a path for distribution of an anti-viral agent comprises:

circuitry for selecting at least one of a physically-separate bypass network or a logically-separate bypass network for distribution of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

34. A system comprising:

(a) a determination module configured for determining a virus associated with a communications network; and

(b) a distribution module configured for distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, including at least;

(1) a distribution module configured for distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, at least in part using a network traffic management device that is operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.

35. A method comprising:

(a) determining a virus associated with a communications network; and

(b) distributing an anti-viral agent on a potential transmission path of the virus on the communications network via a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of higher transmission speed, higher transmission reliability, higher transmission security, or a physically-separate transmission path relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network, including at least;

(1) distributing the anti-viral agent on the potential transmission path to a non-infected device of the communications network via the bypass network, at least in part using a network traffic management device that is operable to implement rules governing the distributing of the anti-viral agent onto the communications network.