IP Library Granted Patent US 10,862,862
Granted Patent B2
US 10,862,862 · App. 16/205,074 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Identifying devices on a remote network

Inventors: Rajarshi Gupta (Los Altos, CA); Joe Anakata (Alameda, CA); Richard Kmieciak (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Avast Software s.r.o.
H04L61/2571H04L61/2015H04L61/2514H04L67/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,862,862
App. No.
16/205,074
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device identification module identifies devices on a remote network, where the remote network may use Network Address Translation techniques. The device identification module can receive a list of devices on the remote network. The devices in the remote network can be identified by the device classification module based, at least in part, on the device classification and one or more of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) information for the remote network, port sequences used in Network Address Translation on the remote network, and a live Uniform Resource Locator (URL) check performed on the remote network.

Claims (61)

1. A method for identifying devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a device identification module implemented by one or more hardware processors and connected to a broad network, a network device list, wherein the network device list includes an entry for each of one or more devices connected on a remote private address space network;

observing, by the device identification module, at least one network packet on the broad network originating from a first device of the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network and having an entry on the network device list;

identifying, by the device identification module, the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed network packet originated based, at least in part, on at least one member of the group consisting of:

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) information for the remote private address space network wherein the DHCP information for the remote private address space network includes one or more DHCP client identifiers;

port sequences used in Network Address Translation (NAT) on the remote private address space network; and

a live Uniform Resource Locator (URL) check performed on the remote private address space network;

monitoring, by a second device on the remote private address space network, DHCP requests originating on the remote private address space network; and

forwarding, by the second device, the one or more DHCP client identifiers from the DHCP requests to the device identification module,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated is further based, at least in part, on the one or more DHCP client identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

clustering, by the device identification module, the port sequences used by the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated is further based, at least in part, on the clustered port sequences.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the device identification module, that a plurality of the devices are unidentified on the remote private address space network; and

in response to determining that one or more unidentified devices of the plurality of unidentified devices are communicating with a domain, issuing a request to a second device on the remote private address space network to initiate snooping on the remote private address space network,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated includes receiving, from the second device, identification information indicating an unidentified device of the one or more unidentified devices that is communicating with the domain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a router on the remote private address space network utilizes Network Address Translation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network includes at least one Internet of Things (IoT) device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identification module receives the network device list from a network monitor dongle connected on the remote private address space network.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing one or more remote security services for the first device on the remote private address space network corresponding to the identified entry on the network device list by, at least in part, continually analyzing, by the device identification module, network packets on the broad network originating from the first identified device.

8. A system comprising:

a network interface device configured to communicatively connect the system to a broad network;

at least one processor connected to the network interface device by a bus; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connected to the network interface device and the at least one processor by the bus and storing one or more processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, provide a device identification module configured to:

receive a network device list, wherein the network device list includes an entry for each of one or more devices connected on a remote private address space network;

observe at least one network packet on the broad network originating from a first device of the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network and having an entry on the network device list;

identify the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed network packet originated based, at least in part, on at least one member of the group consisting of:

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) information for the remote private address space network wherein the DHCP information for the remote private address space network includes one or more DHCP client identifiers,

port sequences used in Network Address Translation (NAT) on the remote private address space network, and

a live Uniform Resource Locator (URL) check performed on the remote private address space network;

receive, from a second device on the remote private address space network, the one or more DHCP client identifiers from DHCP requests originating on the remote private address space network to the device identification module; and

identify the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed network packet originated based further on the one or more DHCP client identifiers.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the device identification module is further configured to:

cluster the port sequences used by the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network; and

identify the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed network packet originated based further on the clustered port sequences.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the device identification module is further configured to:

determine that a plurality of the devices are unidentified on the remote private address space network; and

in response to determining that one or more unidentified devices of the plurality of unidentified devices are communicating with a domain, issue a request to a second device on the remote private address space network to initiate snooping on the remote private address space network,

wherein said identification of the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated includes receiving, from the second device, identification information indicating an unidentified device of the one or more unidentified devices that is communicating with the domain.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein a router on the remote private address space network utilizes Network Address Translation.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network includes at least one Internet of Things (loT) device.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the device identification module is configured to receive the network device list from a network monitor dongle connected on the remote private address space network.

14. The system of claim 8 , the processor-executable instructions including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, provide a platform configured to continually analyze network packets on the broad network originating from the first identified device for providing one or more remote security services for the first identified device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving, by a device identification module implemented by one or more hardware processors and connected to a broad network, a network device list, wherein the network device list includes an entry for each of one or more devices connected on a remote private address space network;

instructions for observing, by the device identification module, at least one network packet on the broad network originating from a first device of the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network and having an entry on the network device list;

instructions for identifying, by the device identification module, the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed network packet originated based, at least in part, on at least one member of the group consisting of:

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) information for the remote private address space network wherein the DHCP information for the remote private address space network includes one or more DHCP client identifiers;

port sequences used in Network Address Translation (NAT) on the remote private address space network; and

a live Uniform Resource Locator (URL) check performed on the remote private address space network;

instructions for monitoring, by a second device on the remote private address space network, DHCP requests originating on the remote private address space network; and

instructions for forwarding, by the second device, the one or more DHCP client identifiers from the DHCP requests to the device identification module,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated is further based, at least in part, on the one or more DHCP client identifiers.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

instructions for clustering, by the device identification module, the port sequences used by the one or more devices connected on the remote private address space network,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated is further based, at least in part, on the clustered port sequences.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

instructions for determining that a plurality of the devices are unidentified on the remote private address space network; and

instructions for, in response to determining that one or more unidentified devices of the plurality of unidentified devices are communicating with a domain, issuing a request to a second device on the remote private address space network to initiate snooping on the remote private address space network,

wherein said identifying the entry on the network device list corresponding to the first device on the remote private address space network from which the observed packet originated includes receiving, from the second device, identification information indicating an unidentified device of the one or more unidentified devices that is communicating with the domain.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2025
From: GEN DIGITAL AMERICAS S.R.O.
To: GEN DIGITAL INC.
Reel/Frame 071771/0767 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2025
From: AVAST SOFTWARE S.R.O.
To: GEN DIGITAL AMERICAS S.R.O.
Reel/Frame 071777/0341 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2018
From: ANAKATA, JOE; GUPTA, RAJARSHI; KMIECIAK, RICHARD
To: AVAST SOFTWARE S.R.O.
Reel/Frame 047629/0504 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62592980 · Nov 30, 2017
Related Publication 20190166091A1 · May 30, 2019