# US 10,903,998 B2 · Systems and methods for privacy preserving accurate analysis of network paths > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,903,998 B2 - Document ID: US10903998B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/161,005 - Filed: 2018-10-15 - Published: 2019-04-18 - Granted: 2021-01-26 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-15 - Assignees: Network Perception, Inc. - Applicants: Network Perception, Inc. - Inventors: David M. Nicol - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10903998B2 ## CPC - H04L 9/14: using a plurality of keys or algorithms - G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor - H04L 9/0894: {Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage} - H04L 63/0421: {Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer} - H04L 63/062: {for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819)} - H04L 63/1433: {Vulnerability analysis} - H04L 63/0823: {using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263)} - H04L 2463/061: applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Anonymizing systems and methods comprising a native configurations database including a set of configurations, a key management database including a plurality of private keys, a processor in communication with the native configurations database and the key management database, and a memory coupled to the processor. The set of configurations includes one or more ranges, wherein each range includes a contiguous sequence comprised of IP addresses, port numbers, or IP addresses and port numbers. The processor is configured to retrieve the set of configurations from the native configurations database, wherein the set of configurations includes a plurality of objects; retrieve a private key from the key management database; assign a unique cryptographically secure identity to each object; and anonymize the plurality of objects based on the cryptographically secure identities and the private key. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anonymizing system comprising: a native configurations database including a set of configurations, wherein the set of configurations includes one or more ranges, wherein each range includes a contiguous sequence comprised of IP addresses, port numbers, or IP addresses and port numbers; a key management database including a plurality of private keys; a processor in communication with the native configurations database and the key management database; and a memory coupled to the processor configured to store program instructions executable by the processor, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: retrieve the set of configurations from the native configurations database, wherein the set of configurations includes a plurality of objects; retrieve a private key from the key management database, wherein the private key is associated with the set of configurations; assign a unique cryptographically secure identity to each object, each identity derived from the private key; and anonymize the plurality of objects based on the cryptographically secure identities and the private key. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein each range includes one or more of a set of potential hosts, a destination IP address, a source port, and a destination port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein the step of anonymizing the representation includes assigning a rule-table to the set of configurations, wherein the rule-table includes a plurality of rules that are position-insensitive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The anonymizing system of claim 3, wherein each range of the anonymized representation includes the same number of members as the corresponding original range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ranges may be fragmented. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein the step of anonymizing the representation includes the steps of: create a list of range endpoints; sort the list of range endpoints; and compute, for each endpoint, a set of ranges that contain the endpoint but do not begin or end at the endpoint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The anonymizing system of claim 6, wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: offset the set of ranges. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: generate a public key that describes the range sizes of each object based on the object's cryptographically secure identity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, further comprising a remote anonymized systems database, and wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: build a representation including a plurality of objects; assign a unique cryptographically secure identity to each object in the representation, each identity derived from the private key; and transmit the anonymized representation to the remote anonymized systems database. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The anonymizing system of claim 9, further comprising: a remote anonymized analysis results database; and a remote oblivious analysis engine in communication with remote anonymized systems database and the remote database of anonymized analysis results; a further processor and a further memory coupled to the further processor configured to store further program instructions executable by the further processor, wherein the further program instructions, when executed by the further processor, cause the further processor to: receive user input to generate an anonymized analysis of the anonymized representation; retrieve, by the remote oblivious analysis engine, the anonymized representation from the remote anonymized systems database; analyze the anonymized representation to develop anonymized analysis results; and store the anonymized analysis results in the remote anonymized analysis results database. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, further comprising a remote anonymized configurations database, and wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: transmit the anonymized plurality of objects to the remote anonymized configurations database. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The anonymizing system of claim 11, further comprising: a remote anonymized analysis results database; and a remote oblivious analysis engine in communication with remote anonymized systems database and the remote database of anonymized analysis results; a further processor and a further memory coupled to the further processor configured to store further program instructions executable by the further processor, wherein the further program instructions, when executed by the further processor, cause the further processor to: receive user input to generate an anonymized analysis of the anonymized representation; retrieve, by the remote oblivious analysis engine, the anonymized plurality of objects from the remote anonymized configurations database; build a representation based on the anonymized plurality of objects; assign a unique cryptographically secure identity to each object in the representation, each identity derived from the private key; and transmit the anonymized representation to the remote anonymized systems database. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The anonymizing system of claim 12, wherein the further memory includes further program instructions executable by the further processor that, when executed, cause the further processor to: retrieve the anonymized representation from the remote anonymized systems database; analyze the anonymized representation to develop anonymized analysis results; and store the anonymized analysis results in the remote anonymized analysis results database. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The anonymizing system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: generate a de-anonymization key; and store the de-anonymization key in the key management database. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The anonymizing system of claim 14, wherein the memory includes further program instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive user input to de-anonymize the anonymized analysis results; receive, from the remote anonymized analysis results database, the anonymized analysis results and the de-anonymization key from the key management database; and invert the anonymization performed on the representation; present the de-anonymized results to the user.