Patent ID: 7356585

Claim:
Software encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media and when executed operable to: receive a first packet flow from a first node, the first packet flow comprising at least a portion of packet headers received at the first node during a first timeframe; receive a second packet flow from a second node, the second packet flow comprising at least a portion of packet headers received at the second node during a second timeframe; process the first and second packet flows to detect an attack; associate the first packet flow with the second packet flow to create a third packet flow, the third packet flow comprising the first and second packet flows; associate an alert message with the third packet flow; in response to the attack: communicate the alert message to a master server, wherein the operability of the software to communicate the alert message to the master server comprises the software being operable to communicate the third packet flow and the associated alert message to the master server; receive a response message from the master server; automatically communicate the response message to the first node; automatically communicate the response message to the second node; wherein the response message is operable to impede, at the first node and the second node, the attack; and wherein the first packet flow received from the first node is associated with a first priority and the second packet flow received from the second node is associated with a second priority, the software further operable to: compare the first priority and the second priority; in response to the first priority not being less than the second priority, assign the first priority to the third packet flow; and in response to the second priority being greater than the first priority, assign the second priority to the third packet flow.