Method and apparatus for providing secure streaming data transmission facilities using unreliable protocols

• US 20110173436A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aventail LLC
• Original Assignee: Aventail LLC
• Inventors: VanHeyningen, Marc D., Erickson, Rodger D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• 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

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting data securely using an unreliable communication protocol, such as User Datagram Protocol. In one variation, the invention retains compatibility with conventional Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and SOCKS protocols, such that secure UDP datagrams can be transmitted between a proxy server and a client computer in a manner analogous to conventional SOCKS processing. In contrast to conventional SSL processing, which relies on a guaranteed delivery service such as TCP and encrypts successive data records with reference to a previously-transmitted data record, encryption is performed using a nonce that is embedded in each transmitted data record. This nonce acts both as an initialization vector for encryption/decryption of the record, and as a unique identifier to authenticate the record. Because decryption of any particular record does not rely on receipt of a previously received data record, the scheme will operate over an unreliable communication protocol. The system and method allows secure packet transmission to be provided with a minimum amount of overhead. Further, the invention provides a network arrangement that employs a cache having copies distributed among a plurality of different locations. SSL/TLS session information for a session with each of the proxy servers is stored in the cache so that it is accessible to at least one other proxy server. Using this arrangement, when a client computer switches from a connection with a first proxy server to a connection with a second proxy server, the second proxy server can retrieve SSL/TLS session information from the cache corresponding to the SSL/TLS communication session between the client device and the first proxy server. The second proxy server can then use the retrieved SSL/TLS session information to accept a session with the client device.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A system for encrypted data transmission via a secure connection over a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of client devices, wherein each client device is communicatively coupled to one or more proxy servers;

one or more application servers, wherein each application server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of proxy servers and encrypted data is transmitted between a client device and an application server from the one or more application servers via a proxy server and a secure connection while using an unreliable transport protocol, and wherein each application server simultaneously communicates with the plurality of communicatively coupled proxy servers; and

a plurality of proxy servers, wherein each proxy server includes cache memory that includes a copy of at least a portion of a collection of cached session information from previous secure communication sessions between the plurality of client devices and the plurality of proxy servers, and wherein the collection of cached session information includes information needed for a first proxy server of the plurality of proxy servers in secure connection with a second proxy server of the plurality of proxy servers to switch the secure connection to a third proxy server of the plurality of proxy servers without having to generate a new secure connection.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the unreliable transport protocol is the User Datagram Protocol.

49. The system of claim 47, further including a cache repository for storing one or more copies of the cache memory.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein each proxy server is capable of implementing a conventional single proxy server protocol function for transmitting the encrypted data via the secure connection, and a modified single proxy server protocol function for transmitting the encrypted data using the unreliable transport protocol.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the encrypted data includes a nonce value used as part of a record associated with the transmission of the encrypted data, and a special bit embedded into a header of the record to indicate that the record contains encrypted data.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the proxy server further includes a record detector for routing the encrypted data with respect to the convention single proxy server protocol function or the modified single proxy server protocol function.

53. The system of claim 47, wherein the collection of cache session information includes a master key used to generate a session key associated with encrypting and decrypting data transmitted during the secure connection.

54. The system of claim 47, wherein the collection of cache session information includes a peer certificate used to authenticate the client device.

55. The system of claim 47, further comprising a load balancer for routing the encrypted data, the load balancer communicatively coupled to each client device of the plurality of client devices via a communication medium and a firewall.