Aol Inc.

Foundry Networks, Inc.

America Online, Inc.

Joseph G Barrett

Rajkumar Ramniranjan Jalan

Christopher J Wright

Mark J Muehl

Thomas Stehnach

Todd M Palino

Victor R Blake

To secure an accessible computer system, the computer system is monitored for connection transactions. An access requestor is denied access to the computer system when the access requestor initiates a number of connection transactions that exceed a configurable threshold number during a first configurable period of time. The monitoring may include detecting connection transactions initiated by the access requestor, counting the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requestor during the first configurable period of time, and comparing the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requestor during the first configurable period of time to the configurable threshold number.

Securing an accessible computer system

A user-configurable firewall and method in which a user-changeable security setting for a client computer is maintained by an access server through which a user accesses the public network. The user-changeable security setting can be used to specify which outside computers or network devices may access the client computer and what type of access to the client computer is allowed. If an attempt to access the client computer is made, the user-configurable security setting is checked to determine if the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting. If the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting, access is allowed to the client computer; otherwise, access is not allowed. If the user changes the user-configurable security setting, the changes to the user-configurable security setting are provided to the access server.

Public network access server having a user-configurable firewall

A number and/or frequency of electronic data communications received from a sender or group of senders during a period of time may be monitored (e.g., counted). When more than a threshold number of electronic communications are communicated by the sender during the period of time, an ability of the sender to communicate messages may be affected.

Throttling electronic communications from one or more senders

To secure an accessible computer system, the computer system is monitored for connection transactions. An access requestor is denied access to the computer system when the access requestor initiates a number of connection transactions that exceed a configurable threshold number during a first configurable period of time. The monitoring may include detecting connection transactions initiated by the access requestor, counting the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requestor during the first configurable period of time, and comparing the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requester during the first configurable period of time to the configurable threshold number.

Growing community of inventors

Oak Hill, VA, United States of America

Joseph G Barrett