# US 11,909,826 B1 · Systems and methods for four dimensional network session authorization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,826 B1 - Document ID: US11909826B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/980,246 - Filed: 2022-11-03 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-03 - Assignees: Fortinet, Inc. - Applicants: Fortinet, Inc. - Inventors: Robert A. May - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909826B1 ## CPC - H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) - H04L 43/062: related to network traffic - H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)} - H04L 67/146: Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Various embodiments provide systems and methods for automatically defining and enforcing network sessions based upon at least four dimensions of segmentation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for automatically applying network communication policies, the method comprising: receiving, by a processing resource, a four dimensional network session definition representing a network transaction; determining, by the processing resource, if the four dimensional network session definition matches a previously classified four dimensional network session definition included in a set of four dimensional network session definition matches and corresponding classifications, wherein the previously classified four dimensional network session definition does not indicate a process to be applied to the present network transaction; responsive to that the four dimensional network session definition does not match a previously classified four dimensional network session, indicating a process to be applied to the network transaction allowing the set of four dimensional network session based on a number of previous accesses; and applying the process to the network transaction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the four dimensional network session definition includes: a source, a destination, a port, and a protocol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the four dimensional network session definition includes: a source, a destination, a port, and a protocol in order of the source, the destination, the port, and the protocol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: monitoring, by the processing resource, ongoing network traffic to yield a plurality of individual network traffics; and extracting, by the processing resource, the four dimensional network session definition from one of the plurality of individual network traffics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: monitoring, by the processing resource, ongoing network traffic to yield a plurality of individual network traffics; extracting, by the processing resource, a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of individual network traffics; classifying, by the processing resource, at least one of the plurality of four dimensional network session definitions to yield the previously classified four dimensional network session definition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the processing resource, a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions and corresponding classifications from a third party service; and combining, by the processing resource, the plurality of four dimensional network session definitions received from the third party service with the previously classified four dimensional network session definition to yield the set of four dimensional network session definition matches and corresponding classifications. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the processing resource, a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions and corresponding classifications. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the processing resource is included in a network security appliance deployed to provide network security services for a communication network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the process is selected from a group consisting of: blocking the network transaction, and allowing the network transaction. ### Claim 10 A system for automatically applying network communication policies, the system comprising: a processing resource; a non-transient computer readable medium coupled to the processing resource and having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: receive a four dimensional network session definition representing a network transaction; determine that the four dimensional network session definition matches a previously classified four dimensional network session definition included in a set of four dimensional network session definition matches and corresponding classifications, wherein the previously classified four dimensional network session definition does not indicate a process to be applied to the present network transaction; responsive to that the four dimensional network session definition does not match a previously classified four dimensional network session, indicate a process to be applied to the network transaction allowing the set of four dimensional network session based on a number of previous accesses; and apply the process to the network transaction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the four dimensional network session definition includes: a source, a destination, a port, and a protocol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the four dimensional network session definition includes: a source, a destination, a port, and a protocol in order of the source, the destination, the port, and the protocol. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transient computer readable medium further having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: monitor ongoing network traffic to yield a plurality of individual network traffics; and extract the four dimensional network session definition from one of the plurality of individual network traffics. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transient computer readable medium further having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: monitor ongoing network traffic to yield a plurality of individual network traffics; extract a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of individual network traffics; classify at least one of the plurality of four dimensional network session definitions to yield the previously classified four dimensional network session definition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the non-transient computer readable medium further having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: receive a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions and corresponding classifications from a third party service; and combine the plurality of four dimensional network session definitions received from the third party service with the previously classified four dimensional network session definition to yield the set of four dimensional network session definition matches and corresponding classifications. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transient computer readable medium further having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: receive a plurality of four dimensional network session definitions and corresponding classifications. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the processing resource is included in a network security appliance deployed to provide network security services for a communication network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the process is selected from a group consisting of: blocking the network transaction, and allowing the network transaction. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to: receive a four dimensional network session definition representing a network transaction; determine that the four dimensional network session definition matches a previously classified four dimensional network session definition included in a set of four dimensional network session definition matches and corresponding classifications, wherein the previously classified four dimensional network session definition does not indicate a process to be applied to the present network transaction; responsive to that the four dimensional network session definition does not match a previously classified four dimensional network session, indicating a process to be applied to the network transaction allowing the set of four dimensional network session based on a number of previous accesses; and apply the process to the network transaction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the four dimensional network session definition includes: a source, a destination, a port, and a protocol; and wherein the process is selected from a group consisting of: blocking the network transaction, and allowing the network transaction.