System and method for performing security management operations in network having non-static collection of nodes

Machines in a managed network implement a set of rules that cause individual machines to directly interact with only a small number of machines in the network. Independent local actions of the individual machines collectively cause the individual machines to be self-organized into one or more communication orbits without any global control or coordination by a server or an administrator. The communication orbits are used for supporting security management, including, at a first node of the network, receiving a security management message from an upstream neighbor through a respective receiving channel from the upstream neighbor to the first node; performing one or more security management operations in accordance with the security management message received from the upstream neighbor; and forwarding the security management message to a downstream neighbor through a respective propagation channel from the first node to the downstream neighbor.