US 12,341,810 B2
System and method for obscuring status of a network service
Steinthor Bjarnason, Fjerdingby (NO); and Sean O'Hara, Saline, MI (US)
Assigned to ARBOR NETWORKS, INC., Westford, MA (US)
Filed by Arbor Networks, Inc., Westford, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/992,320.
Prior Publication US 2024/0171606 A1, May 23, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01); H04L 43/12 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 63/1458 (2013.01) [H04L 43/12 (2013.01); H04L 63/1416 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer implemented method for obscuring the status of a network service provided by a network device, comprising:
receiving, in a network monitoring device, a network packet request intended for a network device;
determining, in the network monitoring device, whether the received network packet request is sent from a device sending distributed denial of service (DDoS) network probe packet requests (a DDOS probe); and
transmitting, if the received packet request was determined to be sent from a DDOS probe, a response from the network monitoring device to the DDOS probe indicating a faux degradation of service level for the intended network device, wherein the faux degradation of service level is simulated to progressively worsen over time to indicate a total service degradation, while simultaneously performing at least one mitigation action for the intended network device to protect against a DDOS attack associated with the DDOS probe.