Abstract: A method and system for inspecting a data packet stream in a computer network for patterns that fall across data packet boundaries is disclosed. This includes determining if two or more data packets are consecutive in the data packet stream, combining data payloads from the consecutive data packets, and analyzing the combined data payloads from the consecutive data packets for a plurality of patterns of character combinations, wherein the maximum length of the combined data payloads is one less than the maximum number of characters for a pattern having a longest length of the plurality of patterns of character combinations. This can include a content searching engine and/or a regular expression engine. There are optional aspects to return data packets to an outgoing data stream based on predetermined criteria and if the data packets are in the system for over a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A malicious attack detection system and associated method of use is disclosed. This includes receiving and parsing a header frame of a data packet into header information and internet protocol (“IP” or “TCP/IP”) addresses, checking the header information for a potential malicious attack condition and if present then a constraint filter result is generated, comparing the internet protocol (“IP”) addresses to determine if an internet protocol (“IP”) address had been previously received, determining if an internet protocol (“IP”) address had been previously received, determining the number of constraint filter results to determine if an incremented count is above a predetermined threshold during a predetermined threshold time period, and dropping at least one data packet based on a determination. Preferably, but not necessarily, the process is carried out at wire-speed meaning when a new data packet arrives, all processing above is complete with regard to the previous data packet.

Abstract: A method and system for inspecting a data packet stream in a computer network for patterns that fall across data packet boundaries is disclosed. This includes determining if two or more data packets are consecutive in the data packet stream, combining data payloads from the consecutive data packets, and analyzing the combined data payloads from the consecutive data packets for a plurality of patterns of character combinations, wherein the maximum length of the combined data payloads is one less than the maximum number of characters for a pattern having a longest length of the plurality of patterns of character combinations. This can include a content searching engine and/or a regular expression engine. There are optional aspects to return data packets to an outgoing data stream based on predetermined criteria and if the data packets are in the system for over a predetermined time period.