# How to Securely Pass Data Packets Within a Trusted Network > A method for tagging data packets with verified properties so that internal network nodes can trust the data without re-verifying it themselves. - **Patent:** US 9276922 - **Original title:** Border property validation for named data networks - **Owner:** Palo Alto Research Center Inc - **Granted:** 2016 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 3 - **Field:** telecommunications, software, ai_ml ## What it does This patent describes a way to make networks faster and more secure by using a 'property vector.' When a message enters a trusted network, an ingress node verifies specific details about it, like its priority or authenticity. It creates a digital tag called a property vector and signs it with a shared secret key. Other nodes in the network can then check this signature to confirm the data is valid without having to perform the heavy lifting of re-verifying the original properties themselves. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover verification methods that rely on individual node-to-node public key infrastructure. - Does not cover networks that do not use hierarchically structured names for data identification. - Does not cover systems where intermediate nodes are required to perform full re-verification of the message properties. ## The clever bit By bundling verified properties into a signed vector at the edge of the network, the system turns a complex, multi-step verification process into a single, lightweight signature check for all internal nodes. ## Real-world examples 1. Content-Centric Networking (CCN) routers 2. Named Data Networking (NDN) testbeds 3. Secure enterprise data distribution systems ## Why it matters In content-centric networks, data is retrieved by name rather than by location. This patent helps solve a major bottleneck in these networks: the computational cost of constantly verifying security and policy metadata as packets hop across multiple routers. By creating a 'trust domain' where nodes share a secret, the system allows for high-speed, secure routing. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How to Securely Pass Data Packets Within a Trusted Network cover? A method for tagging data packets with verified properties so that internal network nodes can trust the data without re-verifying it themselves. ### Who owns patent US 9276922? Palo Alto Research Center Inc owns this patent, granted in 2016. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on March 1, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 9276922 cited by? This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? In content-centric networks, data is retrieved by name rather than by location. This patent helps solve a major bottleneck in these networks: the computational cost of constantly verifying security and policy metadata as packets hop across multiple routers. By creating a 'trust domain' where nodes share a secret, the system allows for high-speed, secure routing. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover verification methods that rely on individual node-to-node public key infrastructure. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9276922/facebook-safety-check **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9276922 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How to Send Data Streams Independently Without Connection Overload](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7904576/reliable-datagram-via-independent-source-destination-resources) — A method for sending multiple streams of data between devices using independent, reliable paths that keep data in the correct order without needing a constant connection. - [How Network Providers Subcontract Data Processing Tasks](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8606929/aws-lambda) — A method for internet service providers to bundle specific data processing tasks from many users and send them to a third party for efficient handling. - [How a Local Server Decides to Save or Degrade Digital Content](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9934408/windows-information-protection) — A system that checks if incoming digital files are authentic, fake, or unknown, and then either saves them, rejects them, or lowers their quality accordingly. - [How Software Services Pass Messages Across Different Network Zones](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6073184/method-of-transmitting-a-notification-to-a-receiver-from-plural-notification-services-in-a-distributed-application-network-and-a-network-for-implementing-the-method) — A method for letting different parts of a large software network communicate by linking their notification services together like a relay race. - [How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains) — A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.