Protection Against Unsolicited Communication

• US 20110265153A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cha, Inhyok, Guccione, Louis J., Schmidt, Andreas, Howry, Dolores F., Greiner, David G., Leicher, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,762,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to provide protection against Unsolicited Communication (UC) in a network, such as, without limitation, an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). A communication may originate from a sending device and may be intended for delivery to a receiving device. A network may determine authentication information associated with the sending device. The network may send the authentication information to a receiving entity to evaluate if the communication is unsolicited using the authentication information. If the communication is determined to be acceptable, a connection associated with the communication may be allowed.

Claims

1. A method for preventing delivery of an unsolicited communication, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a sending device, wherein the communication is intended to be delivered to a receiving device;

determining authentication information relating to the communication; and

sending the authentication information to at least one of a receiving network or the receiving device, wherein the authentication information is capable of being evaluated to determine if the communication is unsolicited.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining authentication information comprises determining a strong sender identity associated with the sending device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the strong sender identity comprises a network asserted identity.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the strong sender identity is incapable of being manipulated by a sender of the communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises state information relating to a health status of the sending device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the health status relates to a virus protection software status on the sending device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of:

removing malware from the sending device;

or

removing malware from a network element associated with the sending device.

8. A method for preventing delivery of an unsolicited communication, the method comprising:

receiving authentication information from at least one of;

a sending device or a sending network; and

determining from the authentication information if a communication associated with the authentication information is unsolicited.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authentication information comprises a strong sender identity associated with the sending device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the strong sender identity comprises a network asserted identity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the strong sender identity is incapable of being manipulated by a sender of the communication.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the strong sender identity is bound to the sending device and is incapable of use with another device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising collecting sender identity information and creating a combined scoring relating to the sender identity information, wherein the combined scoring is capable of being used to assess trustworthiness of the sending device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a combined scoring and storing the combined scoring in a trusted environment on the sending device, wherein the combined scoring is capable of re-use by the sending device and incapable of use by other devices.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the authentication information comprises state information relating to a health status of the sending device.

16. A method for preventing delivery of an unsolicited communication, the method comprising:

performing a test to determine whether a communication associated with a sending device is unsolicited;

determining if the communication is unsolicited based on the test;

denying a connection relating to the communication when the communication is determined to be unsolicited, wherein the denying is performed by at least one of;

a receiving network or a receiving device; and

allowing the connection relating to the communication when the communication is determined to be acceptable, wherein the allowing is performed by at least one of;

a receiving network or a receiving device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the test comprises comparing an identifier associated with the sending device to at least one of:

an approved list of identifiers or a disapproved list of identifiers.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the test comprises a Turing test.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the test comprises determining that a state of the sending device is acceptable using at least one of:

an internal application server or third party application server.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the test comprises verifying an address of the sending device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the test further comprises determining at least one of:

authentication strength, presence of certified hardware on the sending device, presence of certified software on the sending device, or liability regarding a claimed sender identity.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the test comprises:

sending a challenge to the sending device;

receiving a response from the sending device; and

evaluating the response to verify an identity of a sender.