Method and system for tracking computer system usage through a remote access security device

• US 20020103760A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woods, Donna Kay, Granger, Graig Michael, Eaton, Philip Robert, Massel, James William, Tianen, Carl Richard, Carroll, Barbara Miller, Irish, Terry Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring remote computer access and associated costs is provided. The system includes a remotely located communication server in communication with multiple host computer networks and in communication with a network access server. First and second memory devices contain a list of authorized users for the host computer networks and a user log for use by a billing computer to generate bills. The method includes the steps of creating starting and ending time stamps for each authorized user accessing a respective one of the multiple host computer networks and creating a user log to generate bills and monitor host computer network usage.

Claims

1. A system for generating billing and usage information for each of a plurality of unrelated host computer networks utilizing security services from a remotely located security server, the system comprising:

a database stored on a computer readable medium, the database comprising a list of fees for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

a user authentication system comprising means for generating and storing a user log, the user log having a list of remote access call start times and a list of remote access call end times for authorized users connected to the plurality of unrelated host computer networks via the system; and

a billing application in communication with the database and the system, the billing application responsive to receipt of the user log from the system to generate a bill for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks based on the list of fees in the database.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a help desk computer in communication with the billing application, the help desk computer having a help desk memory containing a list of authorized users who have accessed the help desk over a predetermined time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user authentication system communicates with the billing application via a frame relay network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises a list of groups for each host computer network, wherein at least a portion of authorized users for each host computer network are associated with a group in the list of groups.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the billing application is configured to receive the list of authorized users who have accessed the help desk and each bill generated for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks further comprises a list of help desk charges.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the billing application comprises logic residing on a server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the billing application comprises a stand-alone billing computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the billing application further comprises a long distance carrier invoice for calls made by authorized users to each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the bill generated for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks comprises a fixed charge for each authorized user.

8. The system of claim 8, wherein the stand-alone billing computer is in communication with the user authentication system via a frame relay network.

11. In a system for providing secure remote access between a plurality of unrelated host computer networks and a plurality of authorized users via a network access server, a method of monitoring access to each of the unrelated host computer networks comprising the steps of:

maintaining a list of host computer networks and an associated list of authorized users for each host computer network in a first memory device;

automatically creating a starting time stamp at the beginning of a remote access call received from an authorized user at a communication server and connecting the authorized user to an appropriate one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks after determining at the network access