Importance

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Abstract

The invention computes approximate origins of data packets transmitted over the Internet. Law enforcement agencies and network operators can use it to assign responsibility for observed Internet activities. The invention uses a small number of cooperative locations (incoming links on routers or switches) to provide link identification data: whether a packet or did or did not traverse that location. The system uses these cooperative places to generate the link signature of a data packet--which places observed and did not observe the packet. Potential origin locations are divided into blocks that have the same link signatures to given destination locations. The blocks are used to generate reverse routing data, potential source addresses for different link signatures. Variations of the invention store relevant link identification and reverse routing data to find the origins of past packets or to compute the origins of packets from partial information about packets of interest.

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First Claim