IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,284,208
Granted Patent B2
US 12,284,208 · App. 18/242,874 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Event driven route control

Inventors: Robert Smith (Irvine, CA); Shawn Marck (San Francisco, CA); Christopher Newton (Westlake Village, CA)
Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
H04L63/1458H04L63/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,284,208
App. No.
18/242,874
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments provide system and methods for a DDoS service using a mix of mitigation systems (also called scrubbing centers) and non-mitigation systems. The non-mitigation systems are less expensive and thus can be placed at or near a customer's network resource (e.g., a computer, cluster of computers, or entire network). Under normal conditions, traffic for a customer's resource can go through a mitigation system or a non-mitigation system. When an attack is detected, traffic that would have otherwise gone through a non-mitigation system is re-routed to a mitigation system. Thus, the non-mitigation systems can be used to reduce latency and provide more efficient access to the customer's network resource during normal conditions. Since the non-mitigation servers are not equipped to respond to an attack, the non-mitigation systems are not used during an attack, thereby still providing protection to the customer network resource using the mitigation systems.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

detecting an attack event;

determining a routing scheme that routes network traffic to one or more mitigation systems of a mitigation network;

communicating the routing scheme to one or more routing devices to cause the one or more routing devices to update from a first Domain Name Service (DNS) zone associated with a non-mitigation system of the mitigation network to a second DNS zone associated with the one or more mitigation systems; and

initiating, by the one or more mitigation systems, scrubbing of the network traffic according to one or more mitigation rules.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an end of the attack event; and

communicating another routing scheme corresponding to the non-mitigation system to the one or more routing devices.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distributed system of devices determines the routing scheme based on signaling from a central server.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein a plurality of possible routing schemes are predetermined before the attack event is detected.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a central server of the mitigation network determines the routing scheme.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the customer network resource is a customer network or a computer hosting a website of the customer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the attack event is a distributed denial of service attack.

8. A mitigation network comprising:

at least one processor;

memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting an attack event;

determining a routing scheme that routes network traffic to one or more mitigation systems of the mitigation network;

communicating the routing scheme to one or more routing devices to cause the one or more routing devices to update from a first Domain Name Service (DNS) zone associated with a non-mitigation system of the mitigation network to a second DNS zone associated with the one or more mitigation systems; and

causing the one or more mitigation systems to initiate scrubbing of the network traffic according to one or more mitigation rules.

9. The mitigation network as recited in claim 8 , the method further comprising:

detecting an end of the attack event; and

communicating another routing scheme corresponding to the non-mitigation system to the one or more routing devices.

10. The mitigation network as recited in claim 8 , wherein a distributed system of devices determines the routing scheme based on signaling from a central server.

11. The mitigation network as recited in claim 10 , wherein a plurality of possible routing schemes are predetermined before the attack event is detected.

12. The mitigation network as recited in claim 8 , wherein a central server of the mitigation network determines the routing scheme.

13. The mitigation network as recited in claim 8 , wherein the customer network resource is a customer network or a computer hosting a website of the customer.

14. The mitigation network as recited in claim 8 , wherein the attack event is a distributed denial of service attack.

15. Non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors associated with a mitigation network comprising one or more mitigation systems, cause the one or more processors to:

detecting an attack event;

determining a routing scheme that routes network traffic to one or more mitigation systems of a mitigation network;

communicating the routing scheme to one or more routing devices to cause the one or more routing devices to update from a first Domain Name Service (DNS) zone associated with a non-mitigation system of the mitigation network to a second DNS zone associated with the one or more mitigation systems; and

causing the one or more mitigation systems to initiate scrubbing of the network traffic according to one or more mitigation rules.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

detect an end of the attack event; and

communicate another routing scheme corresponding to the non-mitigation system to the one or more routing devices.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine the routing scheme based on signaling from a central server.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL RECORDED AT R/F 069295/0858 Recorded Jun 12, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS RETIRING COLLATERAL AGENT
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075738/0427 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0858 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0749 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2023
From: SMITH, ROBERT; MARCK, SHAWN; NEWTON, CHRISTOPHER
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 064861/0962 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 17968839 · Oct 19, 2022
Continuation 17239745 · Apr 26, 2021
Continuation 16449916 · Jun 24, 2019
Continuation 16155587 · Oct 9, 2018
Continuation 15707772 · Sep 18, 2017
Continuation 14852518 · Sep 12, 2015
Provisional Application 62050000 · Sep 12, 2014
Related Publication 20230421603A1 · Dec 28, 2023
References Cited (66)
US 7478429B2 · Lyon · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7546635B1 · Krohn · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7665135B1 · Mohiuddin · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7694338B1 · Jafari · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7730536B2 · Pasko · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7966661B2 · Gunawardena · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 7987493B1 · Reams et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8103755B2 · Malan · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8117657B1 · Elrod · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8230504B1 · Jafari · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8255996B2 · Elrod · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8387144B2 · Gunawardena · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8510826B1 · Reams · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8615785B2 · Elrod · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8719930B2 · Lapsley · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8839427B2 · Morrow · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8955112B2 · Nguyen · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 8966622B2 · Dickinson · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9094445B2 · Moore · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9197666B2 · Carney · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9413783B1 · Keogh · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9497215B2 · Vasseur · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9674207B2 · Di Pietro · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9742795B1 · Radlein · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9769202B2 · Smith · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9774619B1 · Radlein · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9794281B1 · Radlein · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9813314B2 · Vasseur · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9923757B1 · Hester · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10003511B2 · Vasseur · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10097579B2 · Smith · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10200402B2 · Radlein · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10333969B2 · Smith · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10341379B2 · George · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10509909B2 · Andriani · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10581914B2 · Krauss · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10686832B2 · Teague · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10721270B2 · Reddy · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10841332B2 · Pfleger de Aguiar · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10999319B2 · Smith · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11115435B2 · Brecl · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11245721B2 · Konda · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11470112B2 · Gingold · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11522879B2 · Koral · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11522907B2 · George · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11595433B2 · Smith · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11606387B2 · Doron · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11757932B2 · Smith · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20040148520A1 · Talpade et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20070201483A1 · Gerasimov et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090293123A1 · Jackson et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100138921A1 · Na et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20140006641A1 · James et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140090061A1 · Avasarala et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140096251A1 · Doctor et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160080412A1 · Smith et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180007086A1 · Smith · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190052670A1 · Smith et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210243225A1 · Smith · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20230041892A1 · Smith · 2023 [cited by applicant]
EP 1705863 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2008001247A2 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report, dated Mar. 27, 2018, Application No. 15840780.9, filed Sep. 14, 2015; 6 pgs. [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability, dated Mar. 14, 2017, Int'l Appl. No. PCT/US15/049956, Int'l Filing Date Sep. 14, 2015; 9 pgs. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated Dec. 14, 2015, Int'l App. No. PCT/US15/049956, Int'l Filing Date Sep. 14, 2015; 3 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority dated Dec. 14, 2015, Int'l Appl. No. PCT/US15/049956; Int'l Filing Date Sep. 14, 2015; 7 pgs. [cited by applicant]