Patent ID: 8122504

Claim:
A method of simulating a flood attack in a communication network comprising: providing a communication network comprising: a plurality of nodes including an active host node and a plurality of further active nodes, said plurality of further active nodes including a target node and a plurality of participating nodes that participate in the flood attack simulation; a network component that transports packets, installed on each of said plurality of further active nodes; an attack handler on each of the participating nodes of said plurality of further active nodes; and an attack master program; each of said attack handlers generating virtual messages of an attack model projected forward in time, wherein said virtual messages include normal system component models also projected forward in time; sending said virtual messages to said target node and others of said attack handlers, said participating nodes not including said target node; injecting said attack handlers onto said participating nodes and sending an initiate simulated attack message to said attack handlers disposed on said active host node; causing said virtual messages of an attack model to propagate through said communication network, whereby the communication network's operation is not disrupted because the virtual messages of an attack model are projected forward in time.