Method and system for monitoring a selected region of an airspace associated with local area networks of computing devices

• Main Authors: KING DAVID C, RAWAT JAI, BHAGWAT PRAVIN, CHASKAR HEMANT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.12.2006
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; JAMMING OF COMMUNICATION; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SECRET COMMUNICATION; TESTING; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

A method for monitoring a selected region of an airspace associated with local area networks of computing devices is provided. The method includes providing one or more segments of a legacy local area network to be protected in a selected geographic region. The legacy local area network is characterized by an unsecured airspace within the selected geographic region. The method includes determining a security policy associated with the one or more segments of the legacy local area network. The security policy at least characterizes a type of wireless activity in the unsecured airspace to be permitted, denied, or ignored. Additionally, the method includes connecting one or more sniffer devices into the legacy local area network. The one or more sniffer devices are spatially disposed within the selected geographic region to cause at least a portion of the unsecured airspace to be secured according to the security policy. Moreover, the method includes coupling a security appliance to the legacy local area network. The method also includes determining if at least one of the sniffer devices is coupled to each of the one or more segments of the legacy local area network to be protected and determining if the one or more sniffer devices substantially covers the portion of the unsecured airspace to be secured. The method additionally includes monitoring wireless activity in the airspace using the one or more sniffer devices, and automatically classifying, using a classification process, a portion of information associated with the monitoring of the wireless activity to at least determine if the wireless activity communicates to at least one of the one or more segments to be protected. Further, the method includes detecting a violation of the security policy based upon at least the classifying of the portion of the information from the monitoring of the wireless activity, and automatically processing an action associated with the violation in accordance to the security policy for the one or more segments in the legacy local area network to be protected.