Patent ID: 8191143
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of protecting a user computer against malicious computers in a wireless computer network, the method to be performed by the user computer and comprising: monitoring data packets going to and from a wireless access point of a wireless computer network to identify a first data packet going from a wireless station to the wireless access point; monitoring data packets going to and from the wireless access point to identify a second data packet going from the wireless access point to the user computer; determining if the second data packet is from the wireless station rather than a DHCP server of the wireless computer network; and deeming the wireless station to be a malicious computer perpetrating a pharming attack to direct data communications from the user computer through the wireless station when the second data packet originated from the wireless station and the second data packet is responsive to a request for DHCP service originated by the user computer prior to detecting the first data packet, the request for DHCP service being for the DHCP server rather than the wireless station; wherein the second data packet is received in the user computer in a pre-IP state of the user computer before a TCP/IP networking stack of the user computer has been configured to allow data communication over the wireless computer network.