Onion routing network for securely moving data through communication networks
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsMichael G. Reed, Paul F. Syverson, David M. Goldschlag
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Abstract
The onion routing network is used to protect Internet initiators and responders against both eavesdropping and traffic analysis from other users of the Internet. In the onion routing of the invention, instead of making connections directly to a responding machine, users make connections through onion routers. The onion routing network allows the connection between the initiator and responder to remain anonymous. Anonymous connections hide who is connected to whom and for what purpose from outside eavesdroppers.
Claims22
A virtual circuit that is a pathway between two devices, one defined as an initiator and the other defined as a responder and both communicating with each other in a network, said circuit comprising:
- a plurality of onion routers arranged adjacent to each other to define said pathway and where adjacent onion routers maintain longstanding connections to each other and where each of said onion routers is responsive to an onion having a layered data structure with one layer per each of the onion routers in said pathway, each layer of said onion comprising a public-key encryption of the identity of the next onion router in said pathway;
- said initiator having means for making a request to a first proxy having means to establish said pathway between said two devices;
- whereby said pathway comprises an anonymous connection between said two devices such that identities of at least one of said two devices are concealed.
A method for establishing and utilizing a virtual circuit in a packet switching network to provide a pathway between two devices, one defined as an initiator and the other defined as a responder, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of onion routers arranged adjacent to each other to define said pathway and where adjacent onion routers maintain longstanding connections to each other and each having a protocol to provide communications therebetween, each of the onion routers being responsive to an onion, having a layered data structure with one layer per each of the onion routers in said pathway, each layer of said onion comprises a public key encryption of the identity of the next onion router in the pathway;
- providing a first proxy responsive to said initiator and having means for establishing said pathway;
- said initiator requesting said first proxy to establish said pathway;
- whereby said pathway comprises an anonymous connection between said two devices such that identities of at least one of said two devices are concealed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.