Abstract: A system and method are provided for providing multiple aliases and associated policy profiles for a user of a VoIP communication system. The user configures a multitude of aliases by the user wishes to be contacted, and associates with each alias a policy stored at a user terminal. The aliases are stored within the network so as to be associated with contact information for the user terminal. A proxy processes call requests by determining the contact information associated with an alias entered by a caller, and forwards the call request to the user terminal associated with the contact information. The user terminal determines the alias used by the caller, and processes the connection request in accordance with the policy. The invention allows users to add and delete aliases in order to effect temporary and private contact information. Calls can be handled depending on which alias was used by a caller, rather than on an identification of the device used by the caller.

Abstract: Communication network security risk exposure management systems and methods are disclosed. Risks to a communication network are determined by analyzing assets of the communication network and vulnerabilities affecting the assets. Assets may include physical assets such as equipment or logical assets such as software or data. Risk analysis may be adapted to assess risks to a particular feature of a communication network by analyzing assets of the communication network which are associated with that feature and one or more of vulnerabilities which affect the feature and vulnerabilities which affect the assets associated with the feature. A feature may be an asset itself or a function or service offered in the network and supported by particular assets, for example.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a Report message processing load at an IGMPv3 proxy/router. A <max_records> variable governs a number of current-state Group Records that can be sent in an IGMPv3 Report message in response to a General Membership Query (GMQ). The <max_records> variable may be provisioned in IGMPv3 hosts, or dynamically provided by the IGMPv3 proxy/routers, which embed the <max_records> variable in the GMQs.

Abstract: Multicast communication resource management apparatus and methods are disclosed. Multicast communication modules receive respective multicast communication traffic streams and provide transmit streams for transmission toward multicast destinations, and have a limited aggregate capacity to support multicast communications with the destinations. The aggregate capacity includes respective amounts of capacity reserved for each of the destinations and a remaining unreserved amount of capacity. The reserved amounts of capacity are usable for communication with the respective destinations. The unreserved amount of capacity is made available as a pool for allocation to a destination for which the respective reserved amount of capacity is insufficient. The destinations may then fairly contend for usage of additional capacity from the unreserved pool. Data structures for tracking reserved and unreserved capacity are also disclosed.

Abstract: A technique for detecting SPAM calls in VoIP networks and taking responsive actions to such calls is described. Detection is based on recognizing abnormalities in signaling message statistics. For example, a device that persistently sends many more call setup requests then it receives and at the same time constantly receives too many, or too few, call terminations in a statistically determined period of time is assumed to be a spam source. This criteria is based on the principle that a Spammer originates many calls, which are consistently terminated by the Spammer or by the recipient. Responsive actions to the detection of VoIP spam may include displaying a call text warning to the recipient, using special ring tone, automated voice mail answer, rejecting the call, etc. The invention addresses an issue that will become more problematic for VoIP networks and their subscribers in the future, and to which a solution has not been proposed in the prior art.