Patent ID: 7886146

Claim:
A method of sending secure packets from a sender comprising programmed electronic processor to a receiver comprising programmed electronic processor over a computer network, the method comprising: obtaining, by the sender, a first packet comprising a first header and a first data payload; encrypting, by the sender, the first data payload to form a first encrypted data payload; creating a first encryption header, the first encryption header comprising information derived from the first packet header, the first encryption header further comprising data regarding the first encrypted data payload; creating, by the sender, a service record comprising data relating to the first encryption header; associating the service record with a service record identification; creating a first encrypted packet comprising the first encrypted data payload, the first encryption header, and the service record identification; sending, from the sender to the receiver, the service record, the service record identification, and the first encrypted packet; retaining, by the receiver, information from service record in association with the service record identification; obtaining, by the sender, a second packet comprising second header and second data payload, the second packet consisting of a first number of bytes; encrypting, by the sender, the second data payload to form second encrypted data payload; creating a second encryption header, the second encryption header comprising information derived from the second packet header, the second encryption header further comprising data regarding the second encrypted data payload; creating a second encrypted packet comprising the second encrypted data payload, the second encryption header, and the service record identification, the second encrypted packet consisting of a number of bytes equal to the first number of bytes; sending, from the sender to the receiver, the second encrypted packet; matching, by the receiver, the service record identification contained in the second encrypted packet with the information from the service record retained by the receiver; recreating, by the receiver, the second packet header using at least one of the service record and information from the second encryption header; and decrypting the second encrypted payload using information from at least one of the service record and information from the second encryption header.