Host accountability using unreliable identifiers
US8185613B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 8, 2009 |
| Grant date | May 22, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 5, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2463/144
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a directly observable identifier of host network traffic in the Internet and a host's IP address can dynamically change. Analysis of traffic (e.g., network activity or application request) logs may be performed and a host tracking graph may be generated that shows hosts and their bindings to IP addresses over time. A host tracking graph may be used to determine host accountability. To generate a host tracking graph, a host is represented. Host representations may be application-dependent. In an implementation, application-level identifiers (IDs) such as user email IDs, messenger login IDs, social network IDs, or cookies may be used. Each identifier may be associated with a human user. These unreliable IDs can be used to track the activity of the corresponding hosts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.