Apparatus and method of implementing multicast security between multicast domains

A method of implementing multicast security in a network, the method comprising:

• encrypting multicast traffic with a global key, the global key being available to a given multicast domain and one or more other multicast domains;
• forwarding the global encrypted multicast traffic to the given multicast domain;
• receiving the global encrypted multicast traffic at the given multicast domain;
• decrypting, at the given multicast domain, the global encrypted multicast traffic with the global key to produce decrypted multicast traffic;
• encrypting, at the given multicast domain, the decrypted multicast traffic with a local key to produce local encrypted multicast traffic, the local key being available only to network devices in the given multicast domain, wherein the multicast domain includes a plurality of network devices, and wherein the multicast traffic includes a plurality of multicast messages;
• and
• forwarding the local encrypted multicast traffic to the plurality of network devices in the given multicast domain.

An apparatus for implementing multicast security in a given multicast domain, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver for receiving multicast traffic that is encrypted with a global key, the global key being available to the given multicast domain and one or more other multicast domains;
• a decryptor for decrypting the received multicast traffic with the global key to produce decrypted multicast traffic;
• an encryptor for encrypting the decrypted multicast traffic with a local key to produce local encrypted multicast traffic, the local key being available only to network devices in the given multicast domain, wherein the multicast domain includes a plurality of network devices, and wherein the multicast traffic includes a plurality of multicast messages;
• and
• a traffic forwarder for forwarding the local encrypted multicast traffic to the plurality of network devices in the given multicast domain.

A computer program product for implementing multicast security in a given multicast domain, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer program code including:

• program code for receiving multicast traffic that is encrypted with a global key, the global key being available to the given multicast domain and one or more other multicast domains;
• program code for decrypting the received multicast traffic with the global key to produce decrypted multicast traffic;
• program code for encrypting the decrypted multicast traffic with a local key to produce local encrypted multicast traffic, the local key being available only to network devices in the given multicast domain, wherein the multicast domain includes a plurality of network devices, and wherein the multicast traffic includes a plurality of multicast messages;
• and
• program code for forwarding the local encrypted multicast traffic to the plurality of network devices in the given multicast domain.

An apparatus for implementing multicast security in a network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for encrypting multicast traffic with a global key, the global key being available to a given multicast domain and one or more other multicast domains;
• means for forwarding the global encrypted multicast traffic to the given multicast domain;
• means for receiving the global encrypted multicast traffic at the given multicast domain;
• means for decrypting, at the given multicast domain, the global encrypted multicast traffic with the global key to produce decrypted multicast traffic;
• means for encrypting, at the given multicast domain, the decrypted multicast traffic with a local key to produce local encrypted multicast traffic, the local key being available only to network devices in the given multicast domain, wherein the multicast domain includes a plurality of network devices, and wherein the multicast traffic includes a multicast messages;
• and
• means for forwarding the local encrypted multicast traffic to the plurality of network devices in the given multicast domain.