Systems and methods for preventing computing devices from sending wireless probe packets

• US 9,918,224 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Shavell, Michael, Jiang, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/949,927
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 455411
• 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 63/1475 Passive attacks, e.g. eavesdropping or listening without modification of the traffic monitored
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for preventing computing devices from sending wireless probe packets may include (1) storing a geolocation of at least one wireless network that was previously accessed by the computing device, (2) determining a current geolocation of the computing device, (3) determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within a predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless network, and (4) preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets in response to determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless access point. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing computing devices from sending wireless probe packets, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

storing a geolocation of at least one wireless network that was previously accessed by the computing device;

determining a current geolocation of the computing device;

determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within a predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless network;

preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets in response to determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless access point;

connecting to the least one wireless network from a different geolocation than the stored geolocation of the at least one wireless network;

storing the different geolocation as an additional geolocation of the at least one wireless network;

storing a plurality of nearby geolocations for the at least one wireless network; and

building a coverage map of the at least one wireless network based on the stored plurality of nearby geolocations.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a new current geolocation of the computing device;

determining that the new current geolocation of the computing device is within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of the previously accessed wireless network;

allowing the computing device to send a wireless probe packet addressed to the previously accessed wireless network while preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets not addressed to the previously accessed wireless network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the computing device has connected to a new wireless network;

storing a geolocation of the new wireless network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing the geolocation of the wireless network comprises storing a geolocation of the computing device at the time the computing device most recently accessed the wireless network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets comprises blocking the computing device from sending wireless probe packets that have been created by the computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets comprises preventing the computing device from creating any wireless probe packets.

7. A system for preventing computing devices from sending wireless probe packets, the system comprising:

a storing module, stored in memory, that;

stores a geolocation of at least one wireless network that was previously accessed by a computing device;

detects that the computing device has connected to the at least one wireless network;

stores the different geolocation as an additional geolocation of the at least one wireless network;

stores a plurality of nearby geolocations for the at least one wireless network; and

builds a coverage map of the at least one wireless network based on the stored plurality of nearby geolocations;

a determination module, stored in memory, that determines a current geolocation of the computing device;

a distance module, stored in memory, that determines that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within a predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless network;

a prevention module, stored in memory, that prevents the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets in response to determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless access point; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the storing module, the determination module, the distance module, and the prevention module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the determination module determines a new current geolocation of the computing device;

the distance module determines that the new current geolocation of the computing device is within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of the previously accessed wireless network;

the prevention module allows the computing device to send a wireless probe packet addressed to the previously accessed wireless network while preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets not addressed to the previously accessed wireless network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the storing module:

detects that the computing device has connected to a new wireless network;

stores a geolocation of the new wireless network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the storing module stores the geolocation of the wireless network by storing a geolocation of the computing device at the time the computing device most recently accessed the wireless network.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the prevention module prevents the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets by blocking the computing device from sending wireless probe packets that have been created by the computing device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the prevention module prevents the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets by preventing the computing device from creating any wireless probe packets.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

store a geolocation of at least one wireless network that was previously accessed by the computing device;

determine a current geolocation of the computing device;

determine that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within a predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless network;

prevent the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets in response to determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless access point;

connect to the least one wireless network from a different geolocation than the stored geolocation of the at least one wireless network;

store the different geolocation as an additional geolocation of the at least one wireless network;

store a plurality of nearby geolocations for the at least one wireless network; and

build a coverage map of the at least one wireless network based on the stored plurality of nearby geolocations.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to:

determine a new current geolocation of the computing device;

determine that the new current geolocation of the computing device is within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of the previously accessed wireless network;

allow the computing device to send a wireless probe packet addressed to the previously accessed wireless network while preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets not addressed to the previously accessed wireless network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to:

detect that the computing device has connected to a new wireless network;

store a geolocation of the new wireless network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to store the geolocation of the wireless network by storing a geolocation of the computing device at the time the computing device most recently accessed the wireless network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to prevent the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets by blocking the computing device from sending wireless probe packets that have been created by the computing device.