Network Traffic Monitoring via Geolocation-Based Flow-Tap Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lawful interception technologies are limited in detecting network traffic associated with geographical locations beyond predefined parameters, leading to potential missed detection of fraudulent or dangerous activities and inefficient use of computing resources.
Innovation Solution
A network device receives geolocation information, maps IP addresses from a GeoIP database to a flow-tap geolocation filter, and monitors network traffic to identify traffic flows associated with these locations, generating a traffic flow copy for analysis by a content destination device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network traffic monitoring uses predefined parameters only, then device complexity is reduced, but detection precision is insufficient for geographical location-based traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a GeoIP database as an intermediary component that maps IP addresses to geographical locations. This database acts as a mediator between the network traffic monitoring system and geographical location data, enabling precise location-based detection without directly integrating complex geolocation processing into the core monitoring device. The filter data structure also serves as an intermediary, pre-processing and organizing traffic flow information before analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is segmented into distinct functional components: traffic flow identification, GeoIP database lookup, filter data structure management, and content destination device notification. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, improving overall detection precision while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
2Reliability
If all network traffic is monitored comprehensively, then detection reliability is improved, but computing resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial monitoring by focusing only on traffic flows that match specific geographical location criteria stored in the filter data structure. Instead of analyzing all network traffic, the system selectively monitors only those flows associated with predefined geographical locations, achieving reliable detection of location-based threats while consuming minimal computing resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the filter data structure with relevant geographical locations and their associated IP address ranges before monitoring begins. This advance preparation allows the monitoring system to quickly filter and identify only the traffic flows of interest, avoiding the need to process and analyze all network traffic in real-time.
3Measurement precision
If geolocation-based filtering is implemented, then traffic analysis precision is improved, but information loss occurs in non-matching traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the monitoring approach to specific geographical locations. Each entry in the filter data structure contains location-specific information (IP address ranges, content destination devices) that is locally optimized for that particular geographical area. This allows precise analysis of traffic from monitored locations while maintaining the ability to handle other traffic through standard procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A network monitoring device may receive, from a mediation device, flow-tap geolocation information that identifies a geographical location (e.g., that is derived based on current and/or previous flow-tap investigation reports) and may obtain, from a geographical Internet protocol (GeoIP) database and based on the flow-tap geolocation information, a plurality of Internet protocol (IP) addresses that are associated with the geographical location. The network device may map the plurality of IP addresses to a flow-tap content destination address of a content destination device in a plurality of entries of a flow-tap geolocation filter. The network device may detect, based on the flow-tap geolocation filter, a traffic flow that is associated with the geographical location, may generate a traffic flow copy, and may provide the traffic flow copy to the flow-tap content destination address, wherein the traffic flow copy is to be accessible to the content destination to enable a context analysis of the traffic flow.