Abstract: The present invention is directed towards “skip” and “differential” recording techniques for recording values of network parameter to a log in a lossless manner while reducing storage resources used to record such values. The counter monitor of the present invention monitors and records values of counters at time intervals to generate a counter log provided via temporary or permanent storage. The counter monitor compares a reading of the value of the counter to a previously obtained value of the counter. If the value of the counter has not changed, the counter monitor records only the timestamp to the counter log, thereby “skipping” the recording of the unchanged value. If there is any change in the value of the counter, then the change in value of the counter, i.e., a “differential” value, along with the timestamp is stored in the counters log. To further reduce storage resource usage, the counter monitor also stores changes to the timestamps as differential changes in time values.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a “flash crowd” technique for handling situations where the cache receives additional requests, e.g.,. nearly simultaneous requests, for the same object during the time the server is processing and returning the response object for a first requester. Once all such nearly simultaneous requests are responded to by the cache, the object is flushed from the cache, with no additional expire time or invalidation action needed. This technique of the present invention enables data to be cached and served for very small amounts of time for objects that would otherwise be considered non-cacheable. As such, this technique yields a significant improvement in applications that serve fast changing data to a large volume of concurrent users, such, for example, as real time stock quotes, or a fast evolving news story.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for data structure locking. In one aspect, a proper subset of variables of a set of variables in a data structure are received. An access privilege to modify variables in the data structure to administrator accounts is assigned. A first administrator access request to modify a variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and the access privilege to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables for the first administrator account. A second administrator access request to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and an access timer that expires after a time period is initiated; the access privilege is disabled for the first administrator account in response to expiration of the access timer; and the access privilege for the second administrator account is enabled in response to expiration of the access timer.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides security processing external to a network edge. The system can include many distributed processing nodes and one or more authority nodes that provide security policy data, threat data, and other security data to the processing nodes. The processing nodes detect and stop the distribution of malware, spyware and other undesirable content before such content reaches the destination network and computing systems.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus monitor networks to identify when the networks are not operating normally, for instance, because of malware. During a sample interval sample data is collected that corresponds to a plurality of system activities, the sample data collected from a plurality of monitored networks and representing normal operations of the plurality of monitored networks. Subsequent to the sample interval, observed data is collected from the plurality of monitored networks, the observed data corresponding to at least some of the system activities. A determination is made whether the observed data represents the normal operation of the monitored networks, and an alert is generated if the observed data does not represent the normal operation of the monitored networks.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method and system for modifying by a cache responses from a server that do not identify a dynamically generated object as cacheable to identify the dynamically generated object to a client as cacheable in the response. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment handling HTTP requests and responses for objects, the techniques of the present invention insert an entity tag, or “etag” into the response to provide cache control for objects provided without entity tags and/or cache control information from an originating server. This technique of the present invention provides an increase in cache hit rates by inserting information, such as entity tag and cache control information for an object, in a response to a client to enable the cache to check for a hit in a subsequent request.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method and system for modifying by a cache responses from a server that do not identify a dynamically generated object as cacheable to identify the dynamically generated object to a client as cacheable in the response. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment handling HTTP requests and responses for objects, the techniques of the present invention insert an entity tag, or “etag” into the response to provide cache control for objects provided without entity tags and/or cache control information from an originating server. This technique of the present invention provides an increase in cache hit rates by inserting information, such as entity tag and cache control information for an object, in a response to a client to enable the cache to check for a hit in a subsequent request.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method and system for modifying by a cache responses from a server that do not identify a dynamically generated object as cacheable to identify the dynamically generated object to a client as cacheable in the response. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment handling HTTP requests and responses for objects, the techniques of the present invention insert an entity tag, or “etag” into the response to provide cache control for objects provided without entity tags and/or cache control information from an originating server. This technique of the present invention provides an increase in cache hit rates by inserting information, such as entity tag and cache control information for an object, in a response to a client to enable the cache to check for a hit in a subsequent request.

Abstract: A method for maximizing server throughput while avoiding overload of a server is presented. The method involves intercepting, via an interface unit, a client request for information from the server. Next, the interface unit determines the current server performance, where the server performance is based on the number of connections opened to the server, the response time of the server and the rate at which the response time is changing. Finally, the interface unit forwards the client request to the server if the current server performance is close to an optimal performance, whereby avoiding overload of the server.

Abstract: A method for maximizing server throughput while avoiding overload of a server is presented. The method involves intercepting, via an interface unit, a client request for information from the server. Next, the interface unit determines the current server performance, where the server performance is based on the number of connections opened to the server, the response time of the server and the rate at which the response time is changing. Finally, the interface unit forwards the client request to the server if the current server performance is close to an optimal performance, whereby avoiding overload of the server.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus monitor networks to identify when the networks are not operating normally, for instance, because of malware. During a sample interval sample data is collected that corresponds to a plurality of system activities, the sample data collected from a plurality of monitored networks and representing normal operations of the plurality of monitored networks. Subsequent to the sample interval, observed data is collected from the plurality of monitored networks, the observed data corresponding to at least some of the system activities. A determination is made whether the observed data represents the normal operation of the monitored networks, and an alert is generated if the observed data does not represent the normal operation of the monitored networks.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for data structure locking. In one aspect, a proper subset of variables of a set of variables in a data structure are received. An access privilege to modify variables in the data structure to administrator accounts is assigned. A first administrator access request to modify a variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and the access privilege to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables for the first administrator account. A second administrator access request to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and an access timer that expires after a time period is initiated; the access privilege is disabled for the first administrator account in response to expiration of the access timer; and the access privilege for the second administrator account is enabled in response to expiration of the access timer.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides authentication and authorization management. The system can include a state manager that is used to identify and maintain the source associated with a client browser that submits requests to the state manager. The state manager can allow requests that are authorized and request authorization for requests that are not. The state manager can maintain the states associated with each domain to reduce the number of transaction needed to authenticate and/or authorize subsequent requests to the same domain or to different domains.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides authentication and authorization management. The system can include an epoch manager that is used to generate authentication and authorization data that remain valid only for an epoch. The epoch manager can generate an epoch key pair that can be used to encrypt and decrypt the authentication and authorization data during the epoch that the key is valid. The epoch manager can also associate the contents of the data with the epoch in which it was created, so that at decrypting the epoch that the data was generated in can be identified.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides authentication and authorization management. The system can include a source processor that is used to identify the source associated with a request for authentication or authorization. The source processor can maintain the initial source associated with the request through the use of an association token. The associate token can be transmitted with each subsequent request that includes authentication or authorization data. The source processor can use the associate token to verify that the source associated with the initial request is the same as the source associated with subsequent authentication and authorization requests.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides authentication and authorization management. The system can include an epoch processor that is used to validate authentication and authorization data that is valid only for an epoch. The epoch processor can maintain a public key that can be used to decrypt the authentication and authorization data during the epoch that the key is valid. The epoch processor can receive a new public key during each epoch. The epoch processor can also determine if the authentication or authorization data was fraudulently generated based on the contents of the data, and verifying whether the data is valid for the epoch in which it was decrypted.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides security processing external to a network edge. The system can include many distributed processing nodes and one or more authority nodes that provide security policy data, threat data, and other security data to the processing nodes. The processing nodes detect and stop the distribution of malware, spyware and other undesirable content before such content reaches the destination network and computing systems.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for handling security messages in a distributed security system. Requests, replies, and/or updates have varying time constraints. Processing node managers and authority node managers determine the best transmission times and/or the ignoring of such data to maximize information value.

Abstract: Login credit is monitored over a credit time period. Continuous invalid login attempts decrease the login credit for the duration of the credit time period. Login credit accumulates with time. If the login credit is less than a credit threshold, login processing is precluded. A common invalid login notification for presentation to a user is generated if login processing is precluded or if login processing indicates that the login credentials are invalid.

Abstract: A device that implements a method for performing integrated caching in a data communication network. The device is configured to receive a packet from a client over the data communication network, wherein the packet includes a request for an object. At the operating system/kernel level of the device, one or more of decryption processing of the packet, authentication and/or authorization of the client, and decompression of the request occurs prior to and integrated with caching operations. The caching operations include determining if the object resides within a cache, serving the request from the cache in response to a determination that the object is stored within the cache, and sending the request to a server in response to a determination that the object is not stored within the cache.