Patent ID: 8355324

Claim:
A method, executed by a processor, for filtering out data packets received at a network address comprising: storing, for each one of a set of values for a fixed segment of a source internet protocol (IP) address, a corresponding first number, each corresponding first number being indicative of a quantity of data packets received with the corresponding one of the set of values for the fixed segment of the source IP address thereof; receiving a new data packet; generating a child node associated with a particular one of the set of values for the fixed segment of the source IP address of the received new data packet if the first number corresponding to the particular one of the set of values for the fixed segment of the source IP address of the received new data packet is greater than a first threshold; and discarding the received new data packet in response to (1) the first number corresponding to the particular one of the set of values for the fixed segment of the source IP address of the received new data packet being greater than the first threshold and (2) a number of child nodes associated with the particular one of the set of values for the fixed segment of the source IP address of the received new data packet being greater than a second threshold.