Network topology aided by smart agent download

• US 9,515,826 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gutt, Gregory M., Whelan, David A., Ayyagari, Arun, Schmalzried, Rachel Rane
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsang, Henry
• Application Number:
  US13/239,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18593 Arrangements for preventing unauthorised access or for providing user protection arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0872 using geo-location information, e.g. location data, time, relative position or proximity to other entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for a network topology aided by a smart agent download are disclosed. The method involves authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant. The method further involves transmitting, by at least one transmission source, the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with at least one claimant. In one or more embodiments, at least one transmission source is employed in a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) Iridium satellite. Also, the method involves receiving, by at least one receiving source, the smart agent download. In addition, the method involves executing, by at least one processor, the smart agent download. Further, the method involves monitoring, by the smart agent download, network behavior. The monitoring of network behavior includes monitoring the users on the network, monitoring data passing through the network, and monitoring the quantity of data passing through the network.

Claims

1. A method for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the method comprising:

authenticating, with at least one authenticator device, at least one claimant;

transmitting, by at least one transmission source, the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with the at least one claimant;

receiving, by the at least one receiving source, the smart agent download;

executing, by at least one processor, the smart agent download; and

monitoring, by the smart agent download, for anomalous network behavior related to cyber security,

wherein the at least one authenticator device authenticates the at least one claimant by verifying a location of the at least one claimant by using geolocation techniques, which use random liveness information from at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal to derive at least one secret authentication key, in order to obtain the location of the at least one claimant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal is transmitted by the at least one transmission source, and is received by the at least one receiving source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted from a same transmission source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted from different transmission sources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted on a same frequency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal and the smart agent download are transmitted on different frequencies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one claimant is at least one of an entity and a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission source is employed in at least one of at least one satellite and at least one pseudo-satellite.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the claimant is at least one of stationary and mobile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the smart agent download in memory.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring for anomalous network behavior related to cyber security includes at least one of:

monitoring usage of at least one device associated with the at least one claimant,

monitoring location of the at least one device;

monitoring users on the network;

monitoring data passing through the network; and

monitoring quantity of the data passing through the network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating, by the at least one processor, the network behavior; and

triggering a specific task to be executed when the processor determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, by a transmission device associated with the at least one claimant, the network behavior to a network operations center;

evaluating, by at least one processor at the network operations center, the network behavior; and

triggering a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor at the network operations center determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

15. A system for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the system comprising:

at least one authenticator device to authenticate at least one claimant;

at least one transmission source to transmit the smart agent download to at least one receiving source associated with the at least one claimant;

at least one receiving source to receive the smart agent download; and

at least one processor to execute the smart agent download,

wherein the smart agent download, when executed, is to monitor for anomalous network behavior related to cyber security,

wherein the at least one authenticator device is configured to authenticate the at least one claimant by verifying a location of the at least one claimant by using geolocation techniques, which use random liveness information from at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal to derive at least one secret authentication key, in order to obtain the location of the at least one claimant.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal is transmitted by the at least one transmission source, and is received by the at least one receiving source.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one transmission source is employed in at least one of at least one satellite and at least one pseudo-satellite.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one satellite is at least one of a Lower Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein, to monitor for anomalous network behavior, the smart agent download is configured for at least one of:

to monitor usage of at least one device associated with the at least one claimant,

to monitor location of the at least one device;

to monitor users on the network;

to monitor data passing through the network; and

to monitor quantity of the data passing through the network.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is also to evaluate the network behavior, and

the smart agent download is also to trigger a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises:

a transmission device associated with the at least one claimant to transmit the network behavior to a network operations center; and

at least one processor at the network operations center to evaluate the network behavior,

wherein the smart agent download is to trigger a specific task to be executed when the at least one processor at the network operations center determines an anomaly in the network behavior has occurred.

22. An apparatus for a network topology aided by a smart agent download, the apparatus comprising:

at least one authenticator device to authenticate at least one claimant associated with the apparatus;

at least one receiving source to receive the smart agent download;

memory to store the smart agent download; and

at least one processor to execute the smart agent download,

wherein the smart agent download, when executed, is to monitor for anomalous network behavior related to cyber security,

wherein the at least one authenticator device is configured to authenticate the at least one claimant by verifying a location of the at least one claimant by using geolocation techniques, which use random liveness information from at least one secure spot beam based authentication signal to derive at least one secret authentication key, in order to obtain the location of the at least one claimant.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus further comprises a transmission source to transmit the network behavior.