Enterasys Networks, Inc.

Steven A Pettit

John Roese

James P Richmond

Paula Jane Dunigan

Richard W Graham

David L Kjendal

David Harrington

Richard Bussiere

Mark Townsend

The present invention provides a method and system for controlling usage of network resources on a communications network. The method comprising acts of: (a) creating one or more packet rules for analyzing packets received at one or more devices of the communications network, each rule including a condition and action to be taken if a packet received at a device satisfies the condition; and (b) creating one or more service abstractions associated with a user of the communication network, each service abstraction representing a named set of one or more of the packet rules. In some embodiments one or more role abstractions may be created, each role abstraction representing a role of a user with respect to the communications network, and each role abstraction including a set of one or more packet rules, and possibly one or more service abstractions.

Creating, modifying and storing service abstractions and role abstractions representing one or more packet rules

A system and method to respond to intrusions detected on a network system including attached functions and a network infrastructure. The system includes means for receiving from an intrusion detection function information about intrusions, a directory service function for gathering and reporting at least the physical and logical addresses of devices of the network infrastructure associated with the detected intrusions, and a plurality of distributed enforcement devices of the network infrastructure for enforcing policies responsive to the detected intrusions. A policy decision function evaluates the reported detected intrusions and makes a determination whether one or more policy changes are required on the enforcement devices in response to a detected intrusion. A policy manager function configures the distributed enforcement devices with the responsive changed policy or policies. Policy changes rules can vary from no change to complete port blocking on one or more identified enforcement devices associated with the detected intrusion, to redirecting the associated traffic including the intrusion and these policies may be modified or removed over time as warranted by network operation.

Distributed intrusion response system

A user's usage of network resources is controlled, after the user has been authenticated, without using any network resources beyond the user's entry point to the network. Packet rules may be provisioned to the user's entry point to the network, and the packet rules may be applied to each packet received from the user before any network resources beyond the entry point are used. These packet rules may be associated with an identity of the user and then provisioned to the user's entry point in response to the user being authenticated. Usage of network resources of a communications network by a user beyond a network device of the communications network that serves as the user's entry point to the communications network is controlled. The port module of the network device is configured with one or more packet rules corresponding to an identity of the user. A packet is received from a device used by the user at the port module, and, before using any of the network resources beyond the network device, the one or more packet rules are applied to the received packet. Another embodiment is provided for controlling usage of network resources of a communications network by a user. The user has an assigned role with respect to the communications network, and the assigned role is associated with one or more packet rules, each packet rule including a condition and action to be taken if a packet received at a device satisfies the condition. A packet including identification information of the user is received from a device of the user at a port module of a network device. The assigned role of the user is determined based on the identification information, and the port module is configured with the one or more packet rules associated with the assigned role of the user.

Controlling usage of network resources by a user at the user's entry point to a communications network based on an identity of the user

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Steven A Pettit