Securing a network connection by way of an endpoint computing device
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus involve securing a network connection by way of mobile, endpoint computing assets. The endpoints have one or more pre-defined security policies governing the connection that are balanced against competing interests of actually maintaining connections between devices, especially in WiMAX, MANET, MESH, or other ad hoc computing environments where poor security, signal strength, fragile connections or mobility issues are of traditional concern. In this manner, connections will not be lost over security enforcement in an otherwise hostile environment. The security policies are enforced in a variety of ways, but may be altered to lesser policies or not-so-strictly enforced so as to maintain satisfactory connections between devices. Other embodiments contemplate analyzing connectivity components before connection and selecting only those components that enable full or best compliance with the policies. Still other embodiments contemplate altering connections in order to maintain full enforcement of policies. Computer program products are also disclosed.
1. A method of securing an endpoint computing device connection over a network, comprising:
pre-defining a security policy for the endpoint computing device;
establishing a computing connection from the endpoint computing device to another computing device, including analyzing connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and/or the network enabling the computing connection before or after the establishing;
determining whether enforcement of the security policy jeopardizes a continued stability of the computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device according to the analyzing; and
if so, altering the security policy to maintain a continued stability of the computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the establishing a computing connection further includes establishing a WiMAX, MESH, MANET or ad hoc computing connection with the another computing device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the connectivity components further includes determining security policies of carrier companies enabling the computing connection.
4. The method of claim 1 , further including determining whether strict enforcement of the security policy jeopardizes the continued stability of the computing connection further includes analyzing a network signal strength of the computing connection.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altering the security policy further includes using a different security policy.
6. A method of securing an endpoint computing device connection over a network, comprising:
pre-defining a security policy for the endpoint computing device;
establishing a computing connection from the endpoint computing device to another computing device, including analyzing connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and/or the network enabling the computing connection before or after the establishing;
determining whether compliance with the security policy implicates a lost computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device; and
if so, altering the computing connection to comply with the security policy and to maintain a continued stability of the computing connection.
7. A method of securing an endpoint computing device connection over a network, comprising:
pre-defining a security policy for the endpoint computing device;
analyzing connectivity components enabling a computing connection from the endpoint computing device to another computing device, including determining which connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and the network will satisfactorily allow the computing connection to comply with the security policy and to maintain a continued stability of the computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device; and
configuring the computing connection using said determined connectivity components, the network including a WiMAX, MESH, MANET or ad hoc computing connection from the endpoint computing device to the another computing device.
8. The method of claim 7 , further including determining whether strict enforcement of the security policy jeopardizes a continued stability of the computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device; and
if so, altering the security policy.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the altering the security policy further includes using a different security policy.
10. A method of securing an endpoint computing device connection over a network, comprising:
pre-defining a security policy for the endpoint computing device;
analyzing connectivity components enabling a computing connection from the endpoint computing device to another computing device, including determining whether any connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and the network will satisfactorily allow the computing connection to comply with the security policy and to maintain a continued stability of the computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device; and
if so, configuring the computing connection using only said determined connectivity components, the network including a WiMAX, MESH, MANET or ad hoc computing connection from the endpoint computing device to the another computing device.
11. The method of claim 10 , further including altering the security policy upon said determination that no collection of connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and the network will said satisfactorily allow said computing connection to said comply with the security policy.
12. A network computing system, comprising:
a first computing device and a second computing device each comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory, the first computing device having a control module to enforce a pre-defined security policy for the first computing device regarding at least one computing connection with the second computing device and at least one connectivity component that is used to establish the at least one computing connection in a network, wherein the control module analyzes the at least one connectivity component of the first computing device and/or the network and enforces a different security policy on the at least one connectivity component upon a determination that the at least one computing connection will be compromised if the pre-defined security policy is strictly enforced, whereby a continued stability of the computing connection between the first computing device and the second computing device is maintained.
13. A network computing system, comprising:
a first computing device and a second computing device each comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory, the first computing device having a control module to enforce a pre-defined security policy for the first computing device regarding at least one computing connection with the second computing device and at least one first computing device connectivity component that is used to establish the at least one computing connection in a network having other connectivity components, wherein the control module analyzes the at least one connectivity component of the first computing device and the other connectivity components of the network and determines whether the at least one connectivity component of the first computing device and the other connectivity components of the network will allow the at least one computing connection to comply with the pre-defined security policy and maintain a continued stability of the at least one computing connection between the first computing device and the second computing device.
14. A network computing system, comprising:
a first computing device and a second computing device each comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory, the first computing device having a control module to enforce a pre-defined security policy for the first computing device regarding at least one computing connection with the second computing device and a plurality of connectivity components of the first computing device that can be used to establish the at least one computing connection in a network having other connectivity components, wherein the control module analyzes at least the plurality of connectivity components and determines which of the plurality of connectivity components will allow the at least one computing connection to comply with the pre-defined security policy and maintain a continued stability of the computing connection between the first computing device and the second computing device, and enables configuring the at least one computing connection with only said determined connectivity components.
15. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium which, when loaded on a computing device, secures a network connection between an endpoint computing device and another computing device, the computer program product having executable instructions that enforce a pre-defined security policy for the endpoint computing device regarding at least one computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device, that analyze connectivity components of at least one of the endpoint computing device and other connectivity components of the network, and that enforce a different security policy if said analysis of connectivity components determines that the at least one computing connection will be compromised if the pre-defined security policy is strictly enforced, whereby a continued stability of the at least one computing connection is maintained.
16. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium which, when loaded on a computing device, secures a network connection between an endpoint computing device and another computing device, the computer program product having executable instructions that enforce a pre-defined security policy for the endpoint computing device regarding at least one computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device, that analyze connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and of the network, and that determine whether said analyzed connectivity components of the endpoint computing device and other connectivity components of the network will actually allow the at least one computing connection to comply with the pre-defined security policy and maintain a continued stability of the at least one computing connection.
17. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium which, when loaded on a computing device, secures a network connection between an endpoint computing device and another computing device, the computer program product having executable instructions that enforce a pre-defined security policy for the endpoint computing device regarding at least one computing connection between the endpoint computing device and the another computing device, that analyze a plurality of connectivity components of the endpoint computing device, and that determine which of said analyzed plurality of connectivity components of the endpoint computing device will allow the at least one computing connection to comply with the pre-defined security policy and maintain a continued stability of the at least one computing connection.
18. The computer program product of claim 17 , further including executable instructions that enable configuring the at least one computing connection with only said determined connectivity components.
19. The computer program product of claim 18 , further including executable instructions that enable configuring the only said determined connectivity components with other connectivity components of the network.