Patent ID: 8588056

Claim:
A method for eliminating unwanted data packets by a restricted bandwidth network that interfaces with a second network, the unwanted data packets originating from the second network and causing error messages to be generated by recipients of the unwanted data packets in the restricted bandwidth network, the method comprising: receiving error messages from a device on the restricted bandwidth network in response to receipt of unwanted data packets by the device from a gateway connecting the restricted bandwidth network to the second network, each error message including a destination of the unwanted data packets, a source of the unwanted data packets, an origin sending the error message as a source of the error message, and a target of the error message as a destination of the error message; monitoring, at the gateway, the origin and the target of the error messages; determining, that a defined threshold number of error messages with a unique origin and target combination have been received at the gateway within a predetermined amount of time, wherein said determining is based on error messages tracked at the device; creating a first access control list comprising identification information of the error messages showing a source and a destination of one or more data packets that have met the defined threshold number within the predetermined amount of time, wherein the source of the data packets matches the target of the error messages and the destination of the data packets matches the origin of the error messages; blocking, at the gateway, data packets having the source and the destination identified on the first access control list; and eliminating the first access control list after a predetermined condition has occurred.