US Patent 8468271 Providing privacy within computer networks using anonymous cookies

In general, techniques are described for utilizing anonymous cookies within computer networks to protect customer identities. In particular, a network device is configured to communicate with an edge router of a service provider network that provides access to a public network having network destinations. The network device includes a control unit and an interface. The control unit executes a content delivery layer and a privacy services layer. The content delivery layer receives a network communication sent from one of the customer devices to the public network. The privacy services layer replaces a destination-specified cookie within the network communication with an anonymous cookie, each of which conform to an application layer protocol. The anonymous cookie also specifies a pseudonym for the one of the customer devices that originated the network communication. The at least one interface then forwards the network communication including the anonymous cookie to the network destination.