Prior art

In my analysis of U.S. Patent 9,516,048, titled "Contagion isolation and inoculation via quarantine," I have identified the following prior art references cited within the patent's file wrapper. Below is a detailed breakdown of each reference, its publication or filing date, a summary of its technical disclosure, and an analysis of which claims of patent 9,516,048 it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Cited U.S. Patents

1. U.S. Patent 7,069,594: System and method for adaptive intrusion detection and prevention

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,069,594 B2
• Publication Date: June 27, 2006 (Filed: July 31, 2002)
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a system for network intrusion detection that can dynamically adapt its monitoring and response based on observed network traffic and potential threats. It describes methods for creating and updating security policies in response to new attack signatures.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: This reference is relevant to claims related to monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity. Specifically, it may anticipate elements of Claim 1, which recites detecting an insecure condition on a host. The adaptive nature of the '594 patent's system could be seen as teaching the detection of anomalous behavior that would necessitate a quarantine-like response.

2. U.S. Patent 7,222,190: System and method for providing network security

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,222,190 B2
• Publication Date: May 22, 2007 (Filed: November 1, 2001)
• Brief Description: This invention details a network security system that enforces access policies for devices attempting to connect to a network. It includes mechanisms for assessing the security posture of a connecting device, such as checking for up-to-date antivirus software, before granting access.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: This patent appears to anticipate the core concepts of assessing a host's security state before allowing network access, which is a central theme in the '048 patent. It could be argued that it anticipates Claims 1, 7, and 13, which describe determining if a host is in an "insecure condition" and the subsequent quarantining. The '190 patent's policy enforcement based on a host's security posture is a direct precursor to these ideas.

3. U.S. Patent 7,676,841: Method and apparatus for protecting a computer from unauthorized software

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,676,841 B2
• Publication Date: March 9, 2010 (Filed: June 30, 2003)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system that uses a "whitelist" of approved software to protect a computer. Any software not on the whitelist is prevented from executing. It also describes a centralized server that manages these whitelists.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: While focused on software execution rather than network access, the underlying principle of a trusted state is relevant. This could be seen as anticipating the concept of a "cleanliness" attestation mentioned in the '048 patent. It may be particularly relevant to the implementation details of determining a "valid digitally signed attestation of cleanliness" as recited in Claim 1.

4. U.S. Patent 7,730,534: Network access control with remediation

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,730,534 B2
• Publication Date: June 1, 2010 (Filed: December 14, 2004)
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on a network access control system that not only denies access to non-compliant devices but also provides resources for those devices to become compliant (remediation). This includes directing the non-compliant device to a server where it can download necessary security updates.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: This reference is highly relevant and likely anticipates several claims. The explicit teaching of redirecting a non-compliant host to a remediation server strongly resonates with the '048 patent. It appears to anticipate Claims 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, and 15, which describe quarantining a host and permitting it to communicate with a remediation host.

5. U.S. Patent 7,930,756: System and method for managing network access based on device security state

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,930,756 B2
• Publication Date: April 19, 2011 (Filed: March 24, 2006)
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a system that continuously monitors the security state of devices on a network. If a device's security state changes to become non-compliant, its network access can be restricted or modified in real-time.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: The continuous monitoring aspect is a key feature. This could be seen as anticipating the ongoing nature of the security assessment implied in the '048 patent. It provides a potential basis for anticipating the detection of an insecure condition as recited in Claims 1, 7, and 13.

6. U.S. Patent 8,234,705: Contagion isolation and inoculation

• Full Citation: US Patent 8,234,705 B1
• Publication Date: July 31, 2012 (Filed: September 27, 2005)
• Brief Description: This is a related patent from the same inventors and assignee as the '048 patent. It covers similar concepts of isolating and remediating infected computers on a network.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: As this is a parent patent, it does not anticipate the claims of the '048 patent in the traditional sense, but rather provides the foundational disclosure from which the '048 patent claims priority. The claims of the '048 patent are continuations of the work disclosed in this patent.

7. U.S. Patent 8,533,824: Quarantine of a computing device

• Full Citation: US Patent 8,533,824 B2
• Publication Date: September 10, 2013 (Filed: August 26, 2008)
• Brief Description: This invention describes methods for quarantining a computing device by modifying its network access based on security policies. It explicitly discusses redirecting network traffic from a quarantined device to a specific quarantine server.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims in 9,516,048: This patent is highly relevant and appears to anticipate the core functionality described in the '048 patent. The detailed description of redirecting a quarantined device's service requests to a quarantine server that provides remediation information directly maps to the language in Claims 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, and 15.

Cited U.S. Patent Application Publications

A number of U.S. patent application publications are also cited. These publications disclose concepts that are relevant to the claims of the '048 patent and would have been publicly available before its effective filing date. A common theme among these publications is the assessment of a device's security posture and the subsequent control of its network access.

For instance, publications such as US 2004/0015723 A1 ("System and method for network access control") and US 2005/0108561 A1 ("Method and system for providing network access to a computer based on its configuration") disclose frameworks for checking the health and compliance of a device before granting it network privileges. These publications provide a strong basis for anticipating the initial steps of the methods claimed in the '048 patent, namely the detection of an "insecure condition."

Furthermore, publications like US 2004/0268153 A1 ("System and method for managing client integrity") and US 2005/0021998 A1 ("Automated quarantine and remediation of non-compliant network devices") describe the concept of a "quarantine" network or VLAN where non-compliant devices are placed. They also discuss providing access to remediation servers from this quarantined state. This directly relates to and likely anticipates the quarantine and remediation steps recited in Claims 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, and 15 of the '048 patent.

In conclusion, the prior art cited against U.S. Patent 9,516,048 demonstrates that the core concepts of network access control based on device health, quarantining non-compliant devices, and providing remediation resources were well-established in the field prior to the effective filing date of the '048 patent. Several references, notably U.S. Patents 7,730,534 and 8,533,824, as well as numerous cited patent application publications, disclose these key elements in detail, suggesting a strong potential for anticipation of the independent claims of the '048 patent.