Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names

DC CAFC

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

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First Claim

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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.

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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.

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60 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.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
- - 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.
- View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
- - 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.

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Litigation Data

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 tech...

G06F 21/606   by securing the transmissio...

H04L 12/4641   Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. v...

H04L 2101/30   Types of network names

H04L 2101/604   Address structures or formats

H04L 41/00   Arrangements for maintenanc...

H04L 45/00   Routing or path finding of ...

H04L 45/24   Multipath

H04L 45/28   using route fault recovery

H04L 61/30   Managing network names, e.g...

H04L 61/3015   Name registration, generati...

H04L 61/35   involving non-standard use ...

H04L 61/4511   using domain name system [DNS]

H04L 61/5007   Internet protocol [IP] addr...

H04L 61/5076   Update or notification mech...

H04L 61/5092   by self-assignment, e.g. pi...

H04L 63/0227   Filtering policies mail mes...

H04L 63/0272   Virtual private networks

H04L 63/04   for providing a confidentia...

H04L 63/0407   wherein the identity of one...

H04L 63/0421 : Anonymous communication, i....

H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is...

H04L 63/0435 : wherein the sending and rec...

H04L 63/0478 : applying multiple layers of...

H04L 63/0485 : Networking architectures fo...

H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entit...

H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of th...

H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security

H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traff...

H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attac...

H04L 63/1458 : Denial of Service

H04L 63/1466 : Active attacks involving in...

H04L 63/164 : at the network layer

H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer

H04L 67/14 : Session management for real...

H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessio...

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Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names

First Claim

3 Assignments

Litigations

11 Petitions

Reexaminations

Accused Products

Abstract

131 Citations

60 Claims

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Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names

First Claim

3 Assignments

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Litigations

11 Petitions

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Reexaminations

Accused Products

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Abstract

131 Citations

60 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

Use Cases

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