Camouflage of network traffic to resist attack
AssigneeThe Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
InventorsLi Shu, William Weinstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for transmitting a file through a network includes a file-splitting processor that splits the file into a plurality of message segments and addresses the plurality of message segments to a plurality of addresses assigned to a receiving host. The apparatus includes a message segment transmitter for transmitting the plurality of message segments to the receiving host.
Claims36
An apparatus for transmitting a file through a network, comprising:
- a file-splitting processor that splits the file into a plurality of message segments and addresses the plurality of message segments to a plurality of addresses assigned to a receiving host;
- and
- a message segment transmitter for transmitting the plurality of message segments to the receiving host.
An apparatus for transmitting a file through a network, comprising:
- a file-splitting processor that splits the file into a plurality of message segments and assigns a plurality of source addresses to the plurality of message segments to disguise the origin of the file;
- and
- a message segment transmitter for transmitting the plurality of message segments to a receiving host.
A method of secure transmission of a file through a network, comprising:
- (a) splitting the file into a plurality of message segments;
- (b) addressing the plurality of message segments to a plurality of addresses assigned to a receiving host;
- and
- (c) transmitting the plurality of message segments to the receiving host.
A method of secure transmission of a file through a network, comprising:
- (a) splitting the file into a plurality of message segments;
- (b) assigning a plurality of source addresses to the plurality of message segments to disguise the origin of the file;
- and
- (c) transmitting the plurality of message segments.
A method of secure transmission of a message through a network, comprising:
- (a) splitting the file into a plurality of message segments, each message segment comprising a destination specifier, protocol information and message data, the protocol information and message data being encrypted;
- (b) causing a message segment to be received by a receiving host;
- (c) causing the receiving host to decrypt the routing information to determine a downstream destination host;
- (d) causing the receiving host to encrypt the routing information and message data in accordance with an encryption protocol accessible to the destination host, and to transmit the thus-encrypted message segment to the destination host;
- and
- (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) for other message segments to facilitate recovery of the message by an ultimate destination host.
A method of defining and operating a network topology to camouflage network traffic patterns and volume, the network comprising a plurality of hosts, the method comprising:
- (a) assigning each one of the plurality of hosts to one of a plurality of domains;
- (b) permitting message transmission from each host to hosts within the domain of the host or a domain that neighbors the domain of the host, thereby defining multiple redundant relay paths among hosts;
- and
- (c) distributing traffic across the network, thereby camouflaging message sources and destinations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.