Spoofing detection

• US 9,800,612 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ozmo Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Harvey, Elaine, Walnock, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US14/718,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 4554262, 4554561, 4554563, 4555521, 4555531, 370331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 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 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods are described herein useful for detecting spoofing by wireless access devices. In some embodiments, spoofing can be detected based on locations for a wireless access device having an identifier at first and second times. The locations are compared to determine whether the wireless access device could access the particular network at the locations in the time period between the first and second times. In several embodiments, spoofing can be detected by tracking the activity of wireless access devices and identifying events that that are prohibited by one or more policy elements of the particular network.

Claims

1. A method to detect spoofing, the method comprising:

determining a first location of a wireless access device having an identifier at a first time;

determining a second location of the wireless access device at a second time;

comparing the first location and the second location to determine whether the first location and the second location are within a possible distance of one another for the wireless access device to travel between the first and second times; and

sending an alert in response to determining that the first location and the second location are outside of the possible distance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating the possible distance including tolerances.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the wireless access device is mobile.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the wireless access device is static.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first and second locations comprises:

detecting the wireless access device using a plurality of nodes at known locations;

determining a signal strength of the wireless access device with respect to individual ones of the plurality of nodes;

determining a distance to the wireless access device from the individual ones of the plurality of nodes based on the signal strength to determine possible locations of the wireless access device; and

estimating an area for the individual ones of the plurality of nodes corresponding to the possible locations of the wireless access device by detecting a band around the individual ones of the plurality of nodes within which the wireless access device could be located based on the determined distance from the individual ones of the plurality of nodes.

6. A method to detect spoofing with a collector device in connection with a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a first state of a wireless access device and a first communication device to which the wireless access device is communicating over a particular network at a first time at a particular node of the plurality of nodes;

receiving or generating a first event for the wireless access device identifying the first state and the first communication device;

receiving a second state of the wireless access device and a second communication device to which the wireless access device is communicating over the particular network at a second time at a particular node of the plurality of nodes;

receiving or generating a second event for the wireless access device identifying the second state and the second communication device in response to determining that at least one of;

the first state and the second state are different, and

the first communication device and the second communication device are different;

checking the first and second events with the collector device for activities prohibited by one or more policy elements of the particular network, wherein the collector device is configured with the one or more policy elements; and

sending an alert signal in response to determining that the first and second events identify an activity that is prohibited by the one or more policy elements.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more policy elements comprise one or more indicators that a wireless access device is a fixed wireless access device, a movable wireless access device, a moving wireless access device, an unknown wireless access device, or a spoofed wireless access device.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving first and second location information for the wireless access device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the receiving the first and second location information comprises receiving first and second access points of the wireless access device.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the wireless access device is operating in an ad hoc mode.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving the first and second states comprises receiving indication of one or more of:

a disconnected state, an authenticating state, an associating state, a reassociating state, a transmitting data state, a disassociating state, or a deauthenticating state.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving or generating the first and second events comprises the collector device generating the first and second events.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second events are generated by the respective particular node.