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US 11,456,994 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for controlling and implementing firewalls
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorMark Reimer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for implementing and controlling a firewall in a router, e.g., a home router, are described. Network traffic through a router is monitored and analyzed the network to identify devices and the type of one or more of the identified devices. In some embodiments, the device type identification is performed using a neural network. The router stores a set of firewall templates. At different times a different templates are applied, e.g. based on mode of operation, user selection, and/or time information. Rules in a firewall template, applicable at a given time to traffic corresponding to identified devices, that are attempting to send or receive via the router, are applied. Different rules may, and sometimes do, apply to different device type classifications.
Claims22
A method, the method comprising:
- operating a firewall device in the form of a router located at a customer premises to pass traffic corresponding to at least a first device without applying firewall rules to the traffic corresponding to the first device, said firewall device being in a network;
- monitoring, at the firewall device, network traffic through the firewall device corresponding to the first device without subjecting said traffic corresponding to the first device to rules in a firewall template for a period of time;
- analyzing network traffic including the traffic corresponding to the first device to identify devices using the firewall device, said analyzing identifying the first device as a device using the network, said first device being one of said devices using the firewall device;
- analyzing the network traffic to identify the type of one or more of the identified devices, said analyzing identifying the first device as a device of a first type, and said analyzing identifying the device type of the first device as being a video player device type, a video camera device type, a voice assistant device type, a gaming console device type, or a cell phone device type;
- wherein said monitoring, said identifying the first device, and said identifying the device type of the first device are performed prior to applying rules in a firewall template at a given time to traffic corresponding to identified devices that are attempting to send or receive via the firewall device;
- and
- applying, at the firewall device, a first rule in a firewall template applicable to devices of the first type, said applying the first rule including applying the first rule to traffic corresponding to the first device when the first device attempts to send or receive traffic via the firewall device, said applying of the first rule following identifying the first device as a device of the first type based on traffic passed through the firewall device.
4 more elements
A firewall device comprising:
- memory including processor executable instructions for controlling the firewall device, said firewall device being a router, said firewall device being in a network;
- and
- a processor configured to execute the processor executable instructions stored in memory and control the firewall device to:
- pass traffic corresponding to at least a first device without applying firewall rules to the traffic corresponding to the first device;
- monitor, at the firewall device, network traffic through the firewall device corresponding to the first device without subjecting said traffic corresponding to the first device to rules in a firewall template for a period of time;
- analyze network traffic including the traffic corresponding to the first device to identify devices using the firewall device, said analyzing identifying the first device as a device using the network, said first device being one of said devices using the firewall device;
- analyze the network traffic to identify the type of one or more of the identified devices, said analyzing identifying the first device as a device of a first type and identifying the device type of the first device as being a video player device type, a video camera device type, a voice assistant device type, a gaming console device type, or a cell phone device type;
- wherein said monitoring, said identifying the first device, and said identifying the device type of the first device are performed prior to applying rules in a firewall template at a given time to traffic corresponding to identified devices that are attempting to send or receive via the firewall device;
- and
- wherein the processor is further configured to:
- apply, at the firewall device, a first rule in a firewall template applicable to devices of the first type, said applying the first rule including applying the first rule to traffic corresponding to the first device when the first device attempts to send or receive traffic via the firewall device, said applying of the first rule following identifying the first device as a device of the first type based on traffic passed through the firewall device.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a firewall device located at a customer premises and operating as a router, said firewall device being in a network, the firewall device including:
- memory including processor executable instructions for controlling the firewall device;
- and
- a first processor configured, under control of the processor executable instructions, to control the firewall device to:
- pass traffic corresponding to at least a first device without applying firewall rules to the traffic corresponding to the first device;
- monitor, at the firewall device, network traffic through the firewall device corresponding to the first device without subjecting said traffic corresponding to the first device to rules in a firewall template for a period of time;
- communicate network traffic including the traffic corresponding to the first device to a server for device identification and device type analysis;
- and
- apply, at the firewall device, a first rule in a firewall template applicable to devices of the first type, said applying the first rule including applying the first rule to traffic corresponding to the first device when the first device attempts to send or receive traffic via the firewall device, said applying of the first rule following identifying the first device as a device of the first type based on traffic passed through the firewall device;
- and
- said server, said server including:
- a second processor configured to:
- analyze network traffic including the traffic corresponding to the first device to identify devices using the firewall device and identify the first device as a device using the network, said first device being one of said devices using the firewall device;
- and
- analyze the network traffic to identify the type of one or more of the identified devices, said analyzing identifying the first device as a device of a first type and identifying the device type of the first device as being a video player device type, a video camera device type, a voice assistant device type, a gaming console device type, or a cell phone device type, as part of analyzing the network traffic to identify the type of one or more of the identified devices;
- and
- wherein said monitoring, said identifying the first device, and said identifying the device type of the first device are performed prior to applying rules in a firewall template at a given time to traffic corresponding to identified devices that are attempting to send or receive via the firewall device.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.