Patent ID: 6643773
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method utilized by a receiving node in a computer network for authenticating a message received from a transmitting node in the computer network, the receiving node being one of a plurality of nodes in a multicast, the method comprising:locating a first tag received with the message, the first tag including data associated with at least one of the receiving node and the transmitting node, the first tag generated by the transmitting node utilizing an encryption key known to the transmitting node; utilizing the first tag to determine if the transmitting node is in the multicast by calculating a generated first tag utilizing the encryption key and comparing the generated first tag with the first tag to determine if the transmitting node is in the multicast; generating a second tag if the transmitting node is determined to be in the multicast; and transmitting the message and generated second tag to a third node in the multicast, the second tag including data indicating that the receiving node is in the multicast.