Patent ID: 8082578
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of preventing unauthorized access to a system, comprising: receiving a data packet at a firewall, the data packet comprising an ethernet frame field and a source address, wherein the firewall does not use a communication address; passively copying the data packet at the firewall, where the passive copying leaves the ethernet frame and the source address unchanged which would otherwise indicate presence of the firewall; analyzing the passively copied data packet with the firewall to determine the final disposition of the data packet; and handling the passively copied data packet according to its final disposition, wherein handling the passively copied data packet comprises determining whether to drop the data packet or send the data packet to a final destination, and handling the passively copied data packet further comprises dropping the data packet or sending the data packet to the final destination using the ethernet frame field, the data packet sent without changing the ethernet frame field or the source address.