Patents Assigned to SonicWALL, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9674126
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for routing a message through a plurality of test methods. The method includes: receiving a message; applying a first test method to the message; updating a state of the message based on the first test method; and determining a second test method to be applied to the message based on the state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: SONICWALL INC.
    Inventors: Brian K. Wilson, David A. Koblas, Scott D. Eikenberry, Paul R. Wieneke, Damon K. Uyeda, Tim Nufire, Jonathan J. Oliver
  • Patent number: 9668200
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the invention, a first wireless access point discovers a second wireless access point, the first wireless access point tunes its radio and privacy settings, without user input, based upon parameters automatically exchanged in response to the discovery of the second wireless access point, and a secure direct wireless connection is established between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings. Adding the first wireless to an existing mesh network includes a determination of the best available direct wireless connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SONICWALL INC.
    Inventors: Zhuangzhi Duo, Zhong Chen, John Gmuender
  • Patent number: 9658794
    Abstract: The presently claimed invention manages memory in a multi-processor system. The presently claimed invention may use a combination of global and local locks when allocating memory and de-allocating memory in a multi-processor system. A method consistent with the presently claimed invention may first receive an allocation of a first memory space in the system memory of a multi-core processing system. The allocation of the first memory space may globally locks the first memory space where the memory space may administered by a software module using one or more local locks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SONICWALL INC.
    Inventor: Xiangyang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9654446
    Abstract: Some embodiments of on-the-fly pattern recognition with configurable bounds have been presented. In one embodiment, a pattern matching engine is configured based on user input, which may include values of one or more user configurable bounds on searching. Then the configured pattern matching engine is used to search for a set of features in an incoming string. A set of scores is updated based on the presence of any of the features in the string while searching for the features. Each score may indicate a likelihood of the content of the string being in a category. The search is terminated if the end of the string is reached or if the user configurable bounds are met. After terminating the search, the scores are output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SONICWALL INC.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Raffill, Shunhui Zhu, Roman Yanovsky, Boris Yanovsky, John Gmuender
  • Patent number: 9628489
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided for controlling requests for resources from remote computers. A remote computer's ability to access a resource is determined based upon the computer's operating environment. The computer or computers responsible for controlling access to a resource will interrogate the remote computer to ascertain its operating environment. The computer or computers responsible for controlling access to a resource may, for example, download one or more interrogator agents onto the remote computer to determine its operating environment. Based upon the interrogation results, the computer or computers responsible for controlling access to a resource will control the remote computer's access to the requested resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SonicWall Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Hopen, Gary Tomlinson, Parvez Anandam, Brian Young, Alan Flagg, Jude Michael Dylan O'Reilley
  • Publication number: 20150334090
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for performing deep packet inspection of messages transmitted through a network switch in a Software Defined Network (SDN). Embodiments of the invention include a network switch, a controller, and a firewall in a software defined networking environment. In the present invention, the network switch is a simple network switch that is physically separate from the controller and the firewall. The invention may include a plurality of physically distinct network switches communicating with one or more controllers and firewalls. In certain instances, communications between the network switch, the controller, and the firewall are performed using the Open Flow standard communication protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Ling, Zhong Chen
  • Publication number: 20150195265
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting dead tunnels associated with a VPN. An indicator of a tunnel capability, for example, a DPD vendor ID, is received from a peer through a VPN connection. The tunnel capability is associated with one or more phase II tunnels associated with the VPN. Traffic generated by the peer is detected, and if traffic is detected at a tunnel, the tunnel is presumed to be alive. When no traffic is detected in a tunnel, a DPD packet exchange with the tunnel is initiated. A determination is made, based on the packet exchange, whether the tunnel is alive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhong Chen, Aravind Thangavelu, Dong Xiang, Yanjun Yang
  • Patent number: 9021039
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for registering a email sender for the purpose of sending an email message to an email receiver including receiving a challenge message wherein the challenge message includes a machine answerable question; processing the challenge message to determine that it is a challenge message sent for the purpose of authorizing delivery of the email message; analyzing the question to determine a valid response to the challenge message; and sending the valid response that includes the answer wherein a nontrivial amount of resources are required to send the valid response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Oliver, Brian K. Wilson, Damon K. Uyeda, Scott D. Eikenberry, David A. Koblas, Tim Nufire
  • Patent number: 9015199
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus request web pages and content rating information thereof have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a request from a user for a web page, retrieving content rating of the web page in response to the request, and fetching the web page substantially simultaneously with the retrieving of the content rating in response to the request. Other embodiments have been claimed and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Gmuender, Alex M. Dubrovsky, Nikolay V. Popov, Alexander Shor, Roman Yanovsky, Shunhui Zhu, Boris Yanovsky
  • Patent number: 8990312
    Abstract: When a user receives potential junk e-mail from an unknown sender address, an active filter installed in or cooperating with the user's e-mail system sends a challenge e-mail back to the sender address. Unless the user receives a correct response e-mail from the sender address and/or a response that meets formal criteria, the active filter rejects the original e-mail and blocks future e-mail from that sender address. The challenge preferably includes a question that the sender must correctly answer in his response. The question is such that only humans can interpret and respond to it correctly. For example, the question may relate to and/or be incorporated in an image in the challenge. Lists of approved and blocked sender addresses are compiled. The user may directly enter addresses in the address lists. Addresses to which the user has sent e-mail may also be included directly in the approved list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Wilson
  • Patent number: 8984289
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for classifying messages are disclosed. A plurality of fraud indicators are identified in the message. A signature of the message is generated. The generated signature of the message is compared to a stored signature. The stored signature is based on a statistical analysis of fraud indicators in a second message associated with the stored signature. A determination as to whether the message is fraudulent is made based on the comparison. The message is processed based on the determination that the message is a fraudulent message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Oliver, Scott D. Eikenberry, Gleb Budman, Brian Kim
  • Patent number: 8977696
    Abstract: Handling a message comprises: classifying an incoming message for a recipient, storing the classified message and providing a notification to the recipient, wherein the notification includes summary information about the classified message and an interface that allows the recipient to operate on the classified message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian K. Wilson, Kwok H. Ng, Damon K. Uyeda, Scott D. Eikenberry, David A. Koblas
  • Patent number: 8955136
    Abstract: Managing electronic messages comprises receiving a message, forwarding the message, determining that the forwarded message is infectious after the message has been forwarded and preventing the infectious forwarded message from spreading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Rihn, Jonathan J. Oliver
  • Patent number: 8955106
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing forwarded infectious messages are provided. Managing electronic message comprises receiving a message, forwarding the message, determining that the forwarded message is infectious after the message has been forwarded and preventing the infectious forwarded message from spreading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Rihn, Jonathan J. Oliver
  • Patent number: 8935348
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for classifying a message. The method includes receiving the message, identifying all items of a certain type in the message, determining whether each of the items meets a criterion, and in the event that all the items are determined to meet the criterion, determining a classification of the message. The system includes an interface configured to receive the message, a processor coupled to the interface, configured to identify all items of a certain type in the message; determine whether each of the items meets a criterion; and in the event that all the items are determined to meet the criterion, determine a classification of the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Oliver, David A. Koblas, Brian K. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8935311
    Abstract: A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter use a local copy of an access control database to determine whether an access request made by a user. Changes made by administrators in the local copies are propagated to all of the other local copies. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to of access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L. Hannel, Laurence R. Lipstone, David S. Schneider
  • Patent number: 8924484
    Abstract: When a user receives potential junk e-mail from an unknown sender address, an active filter installed in or cooperating with the user's e-mail system sends a challenge e-mail back to the sender address. Unless the user receives a correct response e-mail from the sender address and/or a response that meets formal criteria, the active filter rejects the original e-mail and blocks future e-mail from that sender address. The challenge preferably includes a question that the sender must correctly answer in his response. The question is such that only humans can interpret and respond to it correctly. For example, the question may relate to and/or be incorporated in an image in the challenge. Lists of approved and blocked sender addresses are compiled. The user may directly enter addresses in the address lists. Addresses to which the user has sent e-mail may also be included directly in the approved list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Wilson
  • Patent number: 8918870
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying content in electronic messages are provided. An electronic message may include certain content. The content is detected and analyzed to identify any metadata. The metadata may include a numerical signature characterizing the content. A thumbprint is generated based on the numerical signature. The thumbprint may then be compared to thumbprints of previously received messages. The comparison allows for classification of the electronic message as spam or not spam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventor: Sijie Yu
  • Patent number: 8914410
    Abstract: A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter uses a local copy of an access control data base to determine whether an access request is made by a user. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. The first access filter in the path performs the access check, encrypts and authenticates the request; the other access filters in the path do not repeat the access check. The interface used by applications to determine whether a user has access to an entity is now an SQL entity. The policy server assembles the information needed for the response to the query from various information sources, including source external to the policy server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford Lee Hannel, Anthony May
  • Patent number: 8908706
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the invention, a first wireless access point discovers a second wireless access point, the first wireless access point tunes its radio and privacy settings, without user input, based upon parameters automatically exchanged in response to the discovery of the second wireless access point, and a secure direct wireless connection is established between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings. Adding the first wireless to an existing mesh network includes a determination of the best available direct wireless connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhuangzhi Duo, Zhong Chen, John Gmuender