Patent ID: 7263719

Claim:
A secure network configured to carry data, comprising: a plurality of network bubbles, each network bubble having a plurality of bubble partitions, each bubble partition having at least one network device configured to transmit and receive data, and wherein each of the plurality of bubble partitions is connected to at least two network control point devices to achieve high availability in the case of a failed interface or network control point device; all of the network devices corresponding to the same respective network bubble having unrestricted network access with each other and the same network security policy that controls data movement between the network devices of different network bubbles; a network control point having one or more network control point devices, a first network device of a first network bubble being connected to the network control point through at least one network control point device and a second network device of a second network bubble being connected to the network control point through at least one network control point device wherein the network control point applies the security policy of the first network bubble to data for the first network device and the security policy of the second network bubble to data for the second network device, wherein the security policy of the first network bubble is distinct from the security policy of the second network bubble; and an inter-bubble device connecting the first and second network bubbles to one another and enforcing the network security policy of the first and second network bubbles.