Patent ID: 7299489

Claim:
A communications network security method for ascertaining the integrity of a first communications network and identifying potential security risks across a perimeter of the first communications network, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of routes that define the first communications network; identifying a plurality of hosts associated with the first communications network as a function of the plurality of routes; receiving a census of the first communications network as a function of the plurality of hosts to determine a topology of the first communications network; probing at least one first host of the plurality hosts of the first communications network by generating and transmitting a packet to the first host, the first host being selected from the census results and the packet having at least a source address of a second host which is associated with a second communications network, wherein the source address is selected independent of any request from the second host to the first host; and determining a security characteristic of the probed first host as a function of a response by the probed first host in receiving the packet, the security characteristic being a measure of connectivity between the first communications network and the second communications network, the measure of connectivity being an indication of connectivity between the first communications network and the second communications network.