Patent ID: 8234705

Claim:
A method for protecting a network, comprising: detecting an insecure condition on a first host that has connected or is attempting to connect to a protected network, wherein detecting the insecure condition includes contacting a trusted computing base associated with a trusted platform module within the first host, receiving a response, and determining whether the response includes a valid digitally signed attestation of cleanliness, wherein the valid digitally signed attestation of cleanliness includes at least one of an attestation that the trusted computing base has ascertained that the first host is not infested, and an attestation that the trusted computing base has ascertained the presence of a patch or a patch level associated with a software component on the first host; when it is determined that the response does not include a valid digitally signed attestation of cleanliness, quarantining the first host, including by preventing the first host from sending data to one or more other hosts associated with the protected network, wherein preventing the first host from sending data to one or more other hosts associated with the protected network includes receiving a service request sent by the first host, serving a quarantine notification page to the first host when the service request comprises a web server request, and in the event the service request comprises a DNS query, providing in response an IP address of a quarantine server configured to serve the quarantine notification page if a host name that is the subject of the DNS query is not associated with a remediation host configured to provide data usable to remedy the insecure condition; and permitting the first host to communicate with the remediation host.