Patent ID: 8650397

Claim:
A method of setting up a secure path in a network for establishing a secure communication session between a first endpoint that connects to the network via a first access node of the network and a second endpoint that connects to the network via a second access node of the network, said method comprising: sending a path initialization message from the first access node to the second access node, said path initialization message propagated by one or more intermediate nodes in said network establishing a path through said network, and wherein each said intermediate node stores a hint token included in the path initialization message that is derived from cryptographic information to be used for said secure communication session; sending a return message from the second access node to the first access node, in response to the second access node receiving the propagated path initialization message, said return message including a disclosure token verifiable using the hint token, and said return message being propagated by each intermediate node back towards the first access node based on each intermediate node verifying the disclosure token via the hint token stored at the intermediate node; receiving the return message at the first access node, the return message including a received disclosure token that is both different from and derived from the disclosure token generated by the second access node using the cryptographic information and a predetermined hashing algorithm; and indicating to the first endpoint that said path has been established as said secure path, responsive to receiving and verifying the return message at the first access node.