System and method for managing network communications

A system for manipulating network traffic, the system comprising:

• a network interface to capture network packets;
• a processor configured to at least:
• determine if a network packet on a local network segment is a threat by determining if a logical network address associated with the network packet has been identified as a network threat;
• determine if a logical source address associated with the network packet is associated with a device on the local network;
• and
• in response to determining that the network packet is a threat, send an address resolution protocol control packet over the local network to cause an address resolution protocol table of a first device on the local network segment, to replace a physical hardware address of a second device associated with the logical source address with a synthetic hardware address, wherein the synthetic hardware address is not associated with a device on the local network segment, to cause communications sent by the first device to the logical source address to be undeliverable.

A computer readable storage disc or storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

• determine if a network packet on a local network segment is a threat by determining if a logical network address associated with the network packet has been identified as a network threat;
• determining if a logical source address associated with the network packet is associated with a device on the local network segment;
• and
• in response to determining that the network packet is a threat, sending an address resolution protocol control packet over the local network segment to cause an address resolution protocol table of a first device on the local network segment to replace a physical hardware address of a second device associated with the logical source address with a synthetic hardware address, wherein the synthetic hardware address is not associated with a device on the local network segment, to cause communications sent by the first device to the logical source address to be undeliverable.