Patent ID: 7779465

Claim:
A computer implemented method for distributed peer attack alerting comprising: accessing a peer community, said peer community comprising a plurality of nodes comprising a network wherein at least one of said plurality of nodes comprises access to an attack identifier; identifying an attack at a first one of said plurality of nodes comprising access to said attack identifier; transmitting an alert petition to others of said plurality of nodes, said alert petition comprising information associated with said attack; automatically configuring at least one attack detection system associated with one of said plurality of nodes in response to said alert petition; determining, by a second one of said plurality of nodes, whether said alert petition has expired; transmitting, from said second one of said plurality of nodes, an indication of an expiration of said alert petition to others of said plurality of nodes to invalidate said alert petition when said alert petition is determined to have expired; determining, by said second one of said plurality of nodes, whether a threshold value has been reached; and creating and transmitting a command, based at least partially on said alert petition, to a second plurality of nodes instructing the second plurality of nodes to protect themselves from said attack when said threshold value is determined to have been reached.