Predictive Security Policy Selection for Firewall Performance

The patent segments the large set of IPS signatures into multiple subsets based on traffic characteristics. Different signature subsets are applied to different types of traffic flows, allowing comprehensive security inspection to be divided into manageable portions that can be processed efficiently without sacrificing detection accuracy.

The patent applies partial action by performing security inspection only on the portion of traffic that requires it, rather than inspecting all traffic with the full signature set. Traffic is analyzed to determine which subsets require inspection, and only those specific subsets are inspected using relevant signature subsets, reducing overall processing load while maintaining security effectiveness.

The patent applies local quality by tailoring the security inspection intensity to the specific characteristics of each traffic flow. Different traffic types receive different levels of inspection with appropriately selected signature subsets, ensuring that computing resources are concentrated on traffic that requires thorough analysis while using minimal resources for traffic that requires less scrutiny.

The patent performs partial security inspection by applying only the necessary subset of signatures to each traffic flow rather than the complete signature set. This selective approach ensures comprehensive security coverage for all traffic while significantly reducing overall computing resource consumption by avoiding redundant inspections.

The patent implements dynamic security inspection by adjusting the inspection depth and signature subset based on real-time traffic analysis. Traffic is dynamically classified into different categories, and the inspection process is adapted accordingly - suspicious traffic receives thorough inspection while unsuspicious traffic receives streamlined inspection, optimizing the balance between security thoroughness and processing time.

The patent applies partial inspection action by performing security checks only to the extent necessary for each traffic flow. Unsuspicious traffic undergoes minimal inspection with reduced signature subsets, while suspicious traffic receives comprehensive inspection. This approach maintains security thoroughness where needed while minimizing processing time for benign traffic.