SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ANALYSING TRANSFER OF DATA OVER AT LEAST ONE NETWORK

• US 20120079109A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Klein, Daniel Paul Leon, Meikle, Neil, Page, Simon Ellett, Mufazzil, Jessica Hanefa
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for analysing transfer of data over at least one network, including a device configured to select a subset of users from a user base of at least one network. The system can include a device configured to analyse data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users, and a device configured to generate an estimate of unlicensed data transfer by the user base based on the analysis of data of the subset of users.

Claims

1. A system configured to analyse transfer of data over at least one network, the system including:

a device configured to select a subset of users from a user base of at least one network;

a device configured to analyse data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users; and

a device configured to generate an estimate of unlicensed data transfer by the user base based on the analysis of data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users.

2. A system according to claim 1, comprising:

a device configured to receive copy data of at least some data transferred via the at least one network by the user base, the copy data being transformed for use as the data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the device configured to receive the copy data comprises:

a deep packet inspection probe.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the device configured to receive the copy data comprises:

a device for identifying potentially licensed data within the transferred data.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the device configured to receive the copy data is configured for generating anonymised data relating to the transferred data so that information identifying users associated with the transferred data is not persistently stored or subsequently processed by the system.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the device configured to receive the copy data is configured for operating in a “

lights out”

mode involving human intervention only under strictly defined processes for configuration, maintenance and support, during which no live traffic passes through network-level components of the system.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the device configured to select, the device configured to analyse, and the device configured to generate an estimate are located onboard an apparatus remote from the device configured to receive the copy data.

8. A system according to claim 1, comprising:

a device configured to compute an unlicensed data transfer metric for the user base based on an estimate of a number of users in the user base who have performed unlicensed data transfers, and an estimate of a number of unlicensed data transfer events performed by users in the user base.

9. A method of analysing transfer of data over at least one network, the method comprising:

selecting a subset of users from a user base of at least one network;

analysing data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users; and

generating an estimate of unlicensed data transfer by the user base based on the analysis of data relating to potential unlicensed data transfer by the subset of users.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the selection of the subset of users comprises:

comparing a level of potentially unlicensed data transfer of users in the user base against a threshold.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the level of potential unlicensed data transfer is based on a difference between a measure/estimate of volume of potentially unlicensed data transferred by a user and a measure/estimate of total volume of data transferred by the user over a period of time.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the level of potential unlicensed data transfer is based on a measure/estimate of a volume of unlicensed content data transferred by a user and a measure/estimate of a volume of unlicensed traffic data by the user.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the volumes of data relate to data transferred using a predetermined protocol.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the analysing of data comprises:

computing indications of unlicensed data transfer events performed by the users in the subset.

15. A method according to claim 14, comprising:

computing an estimate of the users in the subset who have performed at least one unlicensed data transfer.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising:

extrapolating an estimate of a number of unlicensed data transfer events performed by the user base based on indications of unlicensed data transfer events performed by the users in the subset.

17. A method according to claim 15, comprising:

extrapolating an estimate of a number of users in the user base who have performed at least one unlicensed data transfer based on the estimate of the users in the subset who have performed at least one unlicensed data transfer.

18. A method according to claim 17, comprising:

generating a confidence interval relating to the estimate of the number of unlicensed data transfer events performed by the user base and the estimate of the number of users in the user base who have performed at least one unlicensed data transfer.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the confidence interval is generated using a bootstrapping technique.

20. A method according to claim 16, comprising:

normalising the estimate of the number of unlicensed data transfer events performed by the user base and the estimate of the number of users in the user base who have performed at least one unlicensed data transfer based on values relating to value of the data transferred.

21. A method according to claim 9, comprising:

computing an unlicensed data transfer metric for the user base based on an estimate of a number of users in the user base who have performed unlicensed data transfers, and an estimate of a number of unlicensed data transfer events performed by users in the user base.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the metric (M_a) is calculated using a formula:

23. A method according to claim 21, comprising:

a relative metric representing the unlicensed data transfer metric against a baseline.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the relative metric is calculated using a formula:

25. A method according to claim 9, comprising:

anonymising data relating to the data transferred by the users so that data identifying the users is not permanently stored or processed in subsequent steps of the method.

26. A method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one network comprises the Internet.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the user base comprises users of the internet located in a specified geographical region.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the user base comprises users of at least some Internet service providers operating/based in a specified geographical region.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium, having thereon computer program code such that when the program code is loaded onto a computer, the program code will cause the computer to execute a method of analysing transfer of data over at least one network according to claim 9.