US Patent 7773540 Methods, system and apparatus preventing network and device identification

A system processes data communications traffic by detecting data communications traffic arriving at a network device for an intended recipient device and determining if the data communications traffic is at least one of initial data communications traffic for a new data communications session, or continuing data communications traffic for an existing data communications session. If the data communications traffic is initial data communications traffic, the system proxy responds to a source of the initial data communications traffic with an expected response that provides an appearance of the existence of an intended recipient device of the initial data communications traffic, regardless if the intended recipient device of the initial data communications traffic actually exists. The system prevents effective use of network probes or scans to identify network devices.