Methods and apparatus usable with or applicable to the use of the internet
First Claim
1. A method affording privacy or anonymity on an Internet-type or other Communications medium, the method comprising:
- a) establishing a secure connection between a client and an intermediary site; and
b) offering or providing one or more services through or on the intermediary site to the client.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method affording privacy or anonymity on an Internet-type or other communications medium. The method affords users with standard client applications and network components privacy and anonymity by routing application requests and responses through a secure connection with a special intermediary machine. The intermediary machine is preferably on a different network segment to the client (for example on the Internet). The secure client-intermediary connection prevents “sniffers” watching the client from seeing the contents of client request and responses even where the true destination service site is not capable of secure communications itself and the intermediary-service site connection is insecure. Clients requests may be specially formatted so that they can be routed by the standard client applications to the intermediary instead of going directly to the true service site. The intermediary listens for and then transforms these specially formatted requests into requests routable to the true destination service site and sends the requests formatted as if they originated from a client located on the intermediary machine itself. Service machines thus return responses to the intermediary thinking it is a client and the intermediary transforms and securely forwards these responses on to the true client ensuring its anonymity and communication security.
31 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method affording privacy or anonymity on an Internet-type or other Communications medium, the method comprising:
-
a) establishing a secure connection between a client and an intermediary site; and
b) offering or providing one or more services through or on the intermediary site to the client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
15. A method as claimed in any pervious claim comprising the intermediary listening for client requests on Internet port numbers above 1023.
-
17. A method substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Specification