IP Library Granted Patent US 8,504,696
Granted Patent B2
US 8,504,696 · App. 13/337,757 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

System and method employing an agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names

Inventors: Victor Larson (Fairfax, VA); Robert Dunham Short, III (Leesburg, VA); Edmond Colby Munger (Crownsville, MD); Michael Williamson (South Riding, VA)
Assignee: VirnetX, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,504,696
App. No.
13/337,757
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for connecting a first network device and a second network device includes one or more servers. The servers are configured to: (a) receive, from the first network device, a request to look up a network address of the second network device based on an identifier associated with the second network device; (b) determine, in response to the request, whether the second network device is available for a secure communications service; and (c) initiate a virtual private network communication link between the first network device and the second network device based on a determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, wherein the secure communications service uses the virtual private network communication link.

Claims (36)

1. A system for connecting a first network device and a second network device, the system including one or more servers configured to:

intercept, from the first network device, a request to look up an internet protocol (IP) address of the second network device based on a domain name associated with the second network device;

determine, in response to the request, whether the second network device is available for a secure communications service; and

initiate a virtual private network communication link between the first network device and the second network device based on a determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, wherein the secure communications service uses the virtual private network communication link.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure communications service includes an audio-video conferencing service that communicates at least one of video data and audio data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein data communicated by the audio-video conferencing service is encrypted over the virtual private network communication link.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure communications service includes a messaging service.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the messaging service includes an e-mail service.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure communications service includes a telephony service.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the telephony service uses modulation.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the modulation is based on one of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), time-division multiplexing (TDM), or code division multiple access (CDMA).

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first network device and the second network device is a mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the mobile device is a notebook computer.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more servers are configured to intercept the request by receiving the request to determine whether the second network device is available for the secure communications service.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual private network communication link is based on inserting into each data packet communicated over the virtual private network communication link one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence.

13. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the virtual private network communication link is based on a network address hopping regime that is used to pseudo-randomly change network addresses in packets transmitted between the network device and the second network device.

14. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service is a function of the result of a domain name lookup.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more servers configured to intercept the request are separate from the first network device.

16. A method of connecting a first network device and a second network device, the method comprising:

intercepting, from the first network device, a request to look up an internet protocol (IP) address of the second network device based on a domain name associated with the second network device;

determining, in response to the request, whether the second network device is available for a secure communications service; and

initiating a virtual private network communication link between the first network device and the second network device based on a determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, wherein the secure communications service uses the virtual private network communication link.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the secure communications service is a video conferencing service that uses at least one of video data and audio data.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the video data and the audio data is encrypted over the virtual private network communication link.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the secure communications service is a messaging service.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the messaging service is an e-mail service.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the secure communications service is a telephony service.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the telephony service uses modulation.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the modulation is based on one of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), time-division multiplexing (TDM), or code division multiple access (CDMA).

24. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first network device and the second network device is a mobile device.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the mobile device is a notebook computer.

26. The method of claim 16 , wherein communicating with the second network device using the secure communications service via the secure communication link includes inserting into data packets communicated over the virtual private network communication link one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence.

27. The method of claim 16 , wherein communicating with the second network device using the secure communications service via the virtual private network communication link includes a network address hopping regime that is used to pseudo-randomly change network addresses in packets transmitted between the first network device and the second network device.

28. The method of claim 16 , wherein determination that the second network device is available for a secure communications service is a function of a domain name lookup.

29. The method of claim 16 , wherein intercepting the request consists of receiving the request to determine whether the second network device is available for the secure communications service.

30. The method of claim 16 , wherein intercepting the request occurs within another network device that is separate from the first network device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2012
From: LARSON, VICTOR; SHORT, ROBERT DUNHAM, III; MUNGER, EDMUND COLBY; WILLIAMSON, MICHAEL
To: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027613/0163 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2012
From: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
To: VIRNETX, INC.
Reel/Frame 027613/0168 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 13049552 · Mar 16, 2011
Continuation 11840560 · Aug 17, 2007
Continuation 10714849 · Nov 18, 2003
Continuation 09558210 · Apr 26, 2000
Continuation In Part 09504783 · Feb 15, 2000
Continuation In Part 09429643 · Oct 29, 1999
Provisional Application 60106261 · Oct 30, 1998
Provisional Application 60137704 · Jun 7, 1999
Related Publication 20120096541A1 · Apr 19, 2012