Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names

• US 7,921,211 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: VirnetX Inc. (Virnetx Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Larson, Victor, Short, III, Robert Dunham, Munger, Edmund Colby, Williamson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US11/840,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/221, 726/15
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 : Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 : applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 : Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for supporting authentication of entities communicating through a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 : Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 : Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 : at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

A secure domain name service for a computer network is disclosed that includes a portal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet, and a domain name database connected to the computer network through the portal. The portal authenticates a query for a secure computer network address, and the domain name database stores secure computer network addresses for the computer network. Each secure computer network address is based on a non-standard top-level domain name, such as .scom, .sorg, .snet, .snet, .sedu, .smil and .sint.

Claims

1. A system for providing a domain name service for establishing a secure communication link, the system comprising:

a domain name service system configured and arranged to be connected to a communication network, store a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses, receive a query for a network address, and indicate in response to the query whether the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names comprises a top-level domain name.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the top-level domain name is a non-standard top-level domain name.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the non-standard top-level domain name is one of .scom, .sorg, .snet, .sgov, .sedu, .smil and .sint.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the domain name service system is configured to authenticate the query using a cryptographic technique.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network includes the Internet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system comprises an edge router.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is connectable to a virtual private network through the communication network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual private network is one of a plurality of secure communication links in a hierarchy of secure communication links.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual private network is based on inserting into each data packet communicated over a secure communication link one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual private network is based on a network address hopping regime that is used to pseudorandomly change network addresses in packets transmitted between a first device and a second device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual private network is based on comparing a value in each data packet transmitted between a first device and a second device to a moving window of valid values.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual private network is based on a comparison of a discriminator field in a header of each data packet to a table of valid discriminator fields maintained for a first device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to respond to the query for the network address.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to provide, in response to the query, the network address corresponding to a domain name from the plurality of domain names and the corresponding network addresses.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to receive the query initiated from a first location, the query requesting the network address associated with a domain name, wherein the domain name service system is configured to provide the network address associated with a second location, and wherein the domain name service system is configured to support establishing a secure communication link between the first location and the second location.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is connected to a communication network, stores a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses, and comprises an indication that the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names is reserved for secure communication links.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system comprises a server.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain name service system further comprises a domain name database, and wherein the domain name database stores the plurality of domain names and the corresponding network addresses.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system comprises a server, wherein the server comprises a domain name database, and wherein the domain name database stores the plurality of domain names and the corresponding network addresses.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to store the corresponding network addresses for use in establishing secure communication links.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to authenticate the query for the network address.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names comprises an indication that the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names comprises a secure name.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names enables establishment of a secure communication link.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to enable establishment of a secure communication link between a first location and a second location transparently to a user at the first location.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure communication link uses encryption.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure communication link is capable of supporting a plurality of services.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of services comprises a plurality of communication protocols, a plurality of application programs, multiple sessions, or a combination thereof.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the plurality of application programs comprises items selected from a group consisting of the following:

video conferencing, e-mail, a word processing program, and telephony.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of services comprises audio, video, or a combination thereof.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system is configured to enable establishment of a secure communication link between a first location and a second location.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the query is initiated from the first location, wherein the second location comprises a computer, and wherein the network address is an address associated with the computer.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain name service system comprises a domain name database connected to a communication network and storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses for communication, wherein the domain name database is configured so as to provide a network address corresponding to a domain name in response to a query in order to establish a secure communication link.

36. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable in a domain name service system, the instructions comprising code for:

connecting the domain name service system to a communication network;

storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses;

receiving a query for a network address; and

indicating in response to the query whether the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

37. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for storing the plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses including at least one top-level domain name.

38. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for responding to the query for the network address.

39. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for providing, in response to the query, the network address corresponding to a domain name from the plurality of domain names and the corresponding network addresses.

40. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for receiving the query for a network address associated with a domain name and initiated from a first location, and providing a network address associated with a second location, and establishing a secure communication link between the first location and the second location.

41. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for indicating that the domain name service system supports the establishment of a secure communication link.

42. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for reserving at least one of the plurality of domain names for secure communication links.

43. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the code resides on a server.

44. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses so as to define a domain name database.

45. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the code resides on a server, and the instructions comprise code for creating a domain name database configured to store the plurality of domain names and the corresponding network addresses.

46. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for storing the corresponding network addresses for use in establishing secure communication links.

47. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions comprise code for authenticating the query for the network address.

48. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names includes an indication that the domain name service system supports the establishment of a secure communication link.

49. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names includes a secure name.

50. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of domain names is configured so as to enable establishment of a secure communication link.

51. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the domain name service system is configured to enable establishment of a secure communication link between a first location and a second location transparently to a user at the first location.

52. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the secure communication link uses encryption.

53. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the secure communication link is capable of supporting a plurality of services.

54. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the plurality of services comprises a plurality of communication protocols, a plurality of application programs, multiple sessions, or a combination thereof.

55. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the plurality of application programs comprises items selected from a group consisting of the following:

video conferencing, e-mail, a word processing program, and telephony.

56. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the plurality of services comprises audio, video, or a combination thereof.

57. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the domain name service system is configured to enable establishment of a secure communication link between a first location and a second location.

58. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 57, wherein the instructions include code for receiving a query initiated from the first location, wherein the second location comprises a computer, and wherein the network address is an address associated with the computer.

59. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the domain name service system comprises a domain name database connected to a communication network and storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses for communication, wherein the domain name database is configured so as to provide a network address corresponding to a domain name is response to the query in order to establish a secure communication link.

60. A method of providing a domain name service for establishing a secure communication link, the method comprising:

connecting a domain name service system to a communication network;

storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses; and

upon receiving a query for a network address for communication, indicating whether the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.