Patent ID: 8185642

Claim:
A system comprising: a network device to allow authorized communication between a destination device and a source device, the network device to: receive a first packet sent from the source device to the destination device; determine that the first packet does not include authorization information; provide a message to a policy server that establishes a network policy, the message informing the policy server that authorization information should be included in subsequent packets from the source device to the destination device; receive, from the policy server, a copy of authorization information associated with the source device; receive, from the source device, a second packet intended for the destination device; determine that the second packet includes authorization information; compare the authorization information included in the second packet with the copy of authorization information received from the policy server; and forward at least a portion of the second packet to the destination device when the authorization information, included in the second packet, matches the copy of authorization information received from the policy server.