Patent ID: 8516588

Claim:
A string detection system comprising: a buffer for receiving data and parsing said data into strings; a content addressable memory, connected to said buffer, for receiving said strings and comparing each one of said strings with pre-loaded entries in said content addressable memory to obtain comparisons, said pre-loaded entries including attack signatures; wherein said content addressable memory is configured to generate a results word having a predetermined number of bits that each correspond to one of the pre-loaded entries in said content addressable memory, wherein the results word generated by said content addressable memory represents at least two attack signatures identified within one of said strings; a match register configured to receive the results word generated by said content addressable memory and latch the results of said comparisons based on the results word; and a central processing unit programmed to receive the results and to provide different responses according to different types of attacks that may be detected, the different responses including at least two of (1) recording an event that includes receipt of the data, (2) notifying a system operator, and (3) interrupting a communication that includes the data.