Patent ID: 8887243

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a computing device configured to enable a communication fabric, publication notifications from one or more network security elements connected to the communication fabric, wherein the publication notifications advertise security information that is available for publication by the one or more network security elements; receiving, at the computing device, a subscription notification from a first network security element connected to the communication fabric, wherein the subscription notification identifies security information desired by the first network security element; evaluating the subscription notification, and the publication notifications to determine a second network security element configured to publish security information that corresponds to the security information desired by the first network security element; automatically connecting the first and second network security elements via the communication fabric so that the security information desired by the first network security element may be provided to the first network security element from the second network security element; generating, at the first network security element, analyzed security information based on the security information provided from the second network security element; and advertising that the analyzed security information is available.