Patent · US Active

Apparatus and methods for protecting network resources

US8555054B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by

1References

19Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated · US

Inventors

Ted Tsei Kuo · Palo Alto, US
Li-Jen Wang · San Jose, US
Bo Yang · San Jose, US
Simon Barber · San Francisco, US
Diana K. Smetters · Belmont, US
Jeffrey D. Abramowitz · Menlo Park, US
Andrea Peiro · Redwood City, US

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 12, 2009
Grant date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 18, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04L2209/80
WIPO fieldDigital communication
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for protecting network resources, particularly in association with automatic provisioning of new client devices. A global PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) scheme is rooted at a globally available server. Roots of PKIs for individual organizations also reside at this server or another globally available resource. To enable access to an organization's network, one or more authenticators are deployed, which may be co-located with access points or other network components. After a client device enabler (CDE) and an authenticator perform mutual authentication with certificates issued within the global PKI, the CDE is used to provision a new client device for the organization. After the client is provisioned, it and an authenticator use certificates issued within the per-organization PKI to allow the client access to the network.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.