Patent ID: 8185943

Claim:
A network adapter, comprising: a plurality of designated trusted and untrusted ports; and a processor provisioned in the network adapter, configured for providing firewall capabilities, and coupled within a computer, the network adapter coupled to a network via the ports, wherein network traffic from the trusted ports bypasses the processor, wherein the network adapter processor is configured for: assembling the network traffic into packets, wherein a subset of the packets greater than a threshold for a maximum size of packets are stored in random access memory of the computer; performing an initial determination whether certain assembled incoming packets are of interest for screening activities based on, at least, determining a source of the certain assembled incoming packets, a protocol of the certain assembled incoming packets, a timing of the certain assembled incoming packets and content within the certain assembled incoming packets; determining whether the certain assembled incoming packets of interest violate a plurality of predetermined rules for packet transmissions; denying access to certain areas of the computer based on a violation of the predetermined rules, wherein the violation is associated with remote access to the computer using an authentication certificate; granting access to the certain areas of the computer if no violation occurs; and communicating an alert that signals the violation, wherein the alert is provided using an indicator on the network adapter and the alert includes a plurality of options for addressing the violation.