Patents by Inventor Nigel Houghton

Nigel Houghton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8677486
    Abstract: A system includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive network traffic that includes a data block. The processor will generate a unique identifier (UID) for the file that includes a hash value corresponding to the file. The processor will determine whether the file is indicated as good or bad with the previously-stored UID. The processor will call a file-type specific detection nugget corresponding to the file's file-type to perform a full file inspection to detect whether the file is good or bad and store a result of the inspection together with the UID of the file, when the file is determined to be not listed in the previously-stored UIDs. The processor will not call the file-type specific detection nugget when the file's indicator is “good” or “bad” in the previously-stored UIDs. The processor will issue an alert about the bad file when the file's indicator is “bad”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sourcefire, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Olney, Patrick Mullen, Lurene Grenier, Nigel Houghton, Ryan Pentney
  • Publication number: 20110258702
    Abstract: A system includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive network traffic that includes a data block. The processor will generate a unique identifier (UID) for the file that includes a hash value corresponding to the file. The processor will determine whether the file is indicated as good or bad with the previously-stored UID. The processor will call a file-type specific detection nugget corresponding to the file's file-type to perform a full file inspection to detect whether the file is good or bad and store a result of the inspection together with the UID of the file, when the file is determined to be not listed in the previously-stored UIDs. The processor will not call the file-type specific detection nugget when the file's indicator is “good” or “bad” in the previously-stored UIDs. The processor will issue an alert about the bad file when the file's indicator is “bad”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: Sourcefire, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Olney, Patrick Mullen, Lurene Grenier, Nigel Houghton, Ryan Pentney
  • Patent number: 7467205
    Abstract: A packet transmitted on a network is read and decoded. A network device and its operating system are identified by analyzing the decoded packet. If more than one operating system is identified from the decoded packet, the operating system is selecting by comparing confidence values assigned to the operating systems identified. A client application running on the network device is identified from the decoded packet or subsequent packets that are read, decoded and analyzed. The network topology of a network is determined by reading, decoding, and analyzing a plurality of packets. A flow between two network devices is determined by reading, decoding, and analyzing a plurality of packets. Vulnerabilities are assigned to operating systems and client applications identified by reading, decoding, and analyzing packets. Network configuration policy is enforced on operating systems and client applications identified by reading, decoding, and analyzing packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Sourcefire, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Dempster, Nigel Houghton