Network session wall passively listening to communication session, with use of access rules, stops further communication between network devices by emulating messages to the devices

Abstract

A session wall for a local area network is provided. This is a device connected to a local area network which listens passively to communications sent over the network. The device also sends data over the network which is interpreted by other devices connected to the network as if it were sent by another network device connected to the local network. The session wall stores access rules for the network devices which generate data communication messages over the local network. It reads a portion of each communication message it listens to and compares that data with the stored access rules to determine whether the message is permitted or not. If not, the session wall sends a message to both parties. In a message to the server it either notifies that the client wishes to close the current session, or it sends a specific message to the server that according to the protocol used causes the server to stop responding to additional client messages in that specific session. In a message to the client the session wall either emulates data from the server causing the client to misinterpret it so future responses from the server for that session will not be accepted properly, or it notifies the client that the server has dropped the connection, or it sends a pre-defined message to notify that the session was blocked.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.