Preventing illicit communications

Abstract

The present invention inspects packets to identify session initiation messages associated with select applications. A session initiation message may be any message used to initiate a communication session with another communication client. Once a session initiation message from a select application is identified, the intended communication session may be identified, monitored, prevented, or otherwise processed in a predefined manner. These select applications may be illicit applications from which communication sessions are actually or potentially unlawful or otherwise improper. The illicit communication sessions that the present invention seeks to control may be used for voice communications as well as for transferring data and facilitating application collaboration, such as is used in video conferencing or file sharing. The session initiation messages need not be received directly from the originating communication client for inspection. Packet inspections may take place at any location, such as aggregation points throughout the packet networks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing packets, comprising:
 identifying packets that are associated with a particular application;   among the packets identified as being associated with the particular application, identifying packets representing session initiation messages for a communication session to be conducted within the particular application; and   processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packets identified as representing session initiation messages are adapted to port a communication session over the particular application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein porting a communication session over the particular application is deemed to be illicit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication session is to be encrypted using an illegal encryption technology. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular application is deemed to be an illicit application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria comprises dropping the packets identified as representing session initiation messages. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria comprises routing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages toward their destinations. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising sending reporting messages to a reporting service when the packets representing session initiation messages are identified among the packets identified as being associated with the particular application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending reporting messages to a reporting service when the packets representing session initiation messages are identified among the packets identified as being associated with the particular application. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria comprises routing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages to a proxy for further processing. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the proxy routes the packets identified as representing session initiation messages toward their destinations in a manner that enables monitoring of traffic in resultant communication sessions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring at least one communication session initiated by the packets identified as representing session initiation messages. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packets identified as representing session initiation messages are intended to initiate encrypted packet-based communication sessions between at least two communication clients over a packet network through which the packets are routed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packets identified as representing session initiation messages represent session initiation protocol (SIP) messages. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the session initiation protocol messages are SIP invite messages. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the steps of identifying the packets representing session initiation messages and processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria are performed in a border gateway router. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the border gateway router is one of a national gateway router, an international gateway router, and an enterprise gateway router. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein identifying the packets representing session initiation messages and processing the packets identified as representing session initiation messages according to defined criteria are performed in a firewall. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising modifying the defined criteria. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein modifying the defined criteria comprises periodically modifying the defined criteria. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein modifying the defined criteria comprises modifying the defined criteria based on received information. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein modifying the defined criteria based on the received information comprises modifying the defined criteria based on periodically received information. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packets identified as representing session initiation messages represent session initiation messages configured to initiate communication sessions for voice communications. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packets identified as representing session initiation messages represent session initiation messages configured to initiate communication sessions for at least one of the group consisting of audio, video, and data communications. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining a particular application to be monitored before identifying the packets that are associated with the particular application.