Methods and apparatus for delivering control messages during a malicious attack in one or more packet networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for reliably delivering control messages to a central filter, for example, during a malicious attack, in one or more packet networks without requiring responses or acknowledgements from the central filter to the detector. A detector defends against unwanted traffic by a target victim by determining that unwanted traffic is received by the target victim based on an analysis of packets received from one or more source IP addresses; and transmitting a denunciation message to a central filter associated with a service provider, the denunciation message identifying a source address of at least one source computing device whose transmission of packets to the target victim is to be one or more of limited, dropped or allowed and wherein the denunciation message is transmitted using a Denunciation Protocol that does not require a prompt acknowledgement from the central filter. In addition, the denunciation messages can be sent redundantly to the central filter and are preferably self contained.