Method and apparatus employing an invalid symbol security jam for communications network security
AssigneeLevel One Communications, Inc.
InventorMichael A. Sokol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A security device for use in communications network devices, such as multi-port repeaters, in local area networks to prevent eavesdropping by overwriting the data with an invalid symbol in the data communication packets transmitted to all unintended transceivers connected to the communications network device. Confidential or user sensitive information is not conveyed to the unintended transceivers since the invalid symbol is defined independent of the data. The invalid symbol unambiguously informs the unintended transceivers that the data in the data packet is invalid.
Claims20
A security management device for providing secure data communication between a plurality of transceivers, the transceivers being coupled to ports on a communications network device, the data communication including at least one data packet having a source address, a destination address and a length field, the security management device being operatively coupled to the communications network device, the security management device comprising:
- (a) a first memory to store a source address of at least one of the transceivers connected to the communications network device;
- (b) a security management controller, coupled to the first memory, to compare the destination address to the source address of the at least one transceiver stored in the first memory;
- and
- (c) a security jamming device, coupled to the security management controller, to jam the data communication to the transceiver having the source address not matching the destination address in the data packet wherein the security jamming device stores an invalid symbol into the length field of the data packet, and the invalid symbol unambiguously indicates to the transceiver that the data communication is invalid.
A communications network device for providing data communication between a plurality of transceivers in a local area network, the data communication including at least one data packet having a source address, a destination address and a length field, the communications network device comprising:
- (a) a security management device, coupled to the communications network device, to provide eavesdropping security, the security management device comprising:
- (i) a first memory to store a source address for at least one of the transceivers connected to the communications network device;
- (ii) a security management controller, coupled to the first memory, to compare the destination address in the data packet to the source address stored in the first memory;
- and
- (iii) a security jamming device, coupled to the security management controller, to jam the data communication to the transceiver having the source address stored in the first memory not matching the destination address in the data packet, wherein the security jamming device stores an invalid symbol into the length field of the data packet, and the invalid symbol unambiguously indicates to the transceiver that the data packet is invalid;
- (b) transmitting and receiving ports, coupled to the communications network device, to interface to the plurality of transceivers to send and receive the data communication;
- and
- (c) a data transport bypass, coupled to the receiving and transmitting ports, to expedite transport of the at least one data packet between the transceivers and the communications network device, wherein the transport of the data within the network communications device circumvents the security management controller.
A method of preventing eavesdropping on a communications network comprising a plurality of transceivers coupled to a communications network device, the method comprising:
- (a) reading a data packet transmitted from one of the transceivers, the data packet having a source address, a destination address, and a length field;
- (b) comparing the destination address with a first memory, the first memory storing a source address of at least one of the transceivers, the first memory being operatively coupled to the communications network device;
- and
- (c) inserting an invalid symbol in the length field of the data packet transmitted to the transceiver having the source address not matching the destination address in the data packet.
A security management device for providing secure data communication between a plurality of transceivers, the transceivers being coupled to ports on a communications network device, the data communication including at least one data packet having a source address, a destination address and a source address field, the security management device being operatively coupled to the communications network device, the security management device comprising:
- (a) a first memory to store a source address of at least one of the transceivers connected to the communications network device;
- (b) a security management controller, coupled to the first memory, to compare the destination address to the source address of the at least one transceiver stored in the first memory;
- and
- (c) a security jamming device, coupled to the security management controller, to jam the data communication to the transceiver having the source address not matching the destination address in the data packet wherein the security jamming device stores an invalid symbol into the source address field of the data packet, and the invalid symbol unambiguously indicates to the transceiver that the data communication is invalid.
A communications network device for providing data communication between a plurality of transceivers in a local area network, the data communication including at least one data packet having a source address, a destination address and a source address field, the communications network device comprising:
- (a) a security management device, coupled to the communications network device, to provide eavesdropping security, the security management device comprising:
- (i) a first memory to store a source address for at least one of the transceivers connected to the communications network device;
- (ii) a security management controller, coupled to the first memory, to compare the destination address in the data packet to the source address stored in the first memory;
- and
- (iii) a security jamming device, coupled to the security management controller, to jam the data communication to the transceiver having the source address stored in the first memory not matching the destination address in the data packet, wherein the security jamming device stores an invalid symbol into the source address field of the data packet, and the invalid symbol unambiguously indicates to the transceiver that the data packet is invalid;
- (b) transmitting and receiving ports, coupled to the communications network device, to interface to the plurality of transceivers to send and receive the data communication;
- and
- (c) a data transport bypass, coupled to the receiving and transmitting ports, to expedite transport of the at least one data packet between the transceivers and the communications network device, wherein the transport of the data within the network communications device circumvents the security management controller.
A method of preventing eavesdropping on a communications network comprising a plurality of transceivers coupled to a communications network device, the method comprising:
- (a) reading a data packet transmitted from one of the transceivers, the data packet having a source address, a destination address, and a source address field;
- (b) comparing the destination address with a first memory, the first memory storing a source address of at least one of the transceivers, the first memory being operatively coupled to the communications network device;
- and
- (c) inserting an invalid symbol in the source address field of the data packet transmitted to the transceiver having the source address not matching the destination address in the data packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.