Methods and systems for using digital signatures in uniform resource locators
First Claim
1. In a network system that includes a server computer system and a client computer system, wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting a document that contains Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to the client computer system, a method of the server computer system dispatching the document to the client computer system in a manner that increases the security of one or more of the Uniform Resource Locators in the document even if the document is intercepted during transmission, the method comprising the following:
- a) obtaining a document that contains original URLs;
b) calculating a digital signature that is unique to the client computer system or unique to a user of the client computer system, wherein at least a portion of the digital signature is generated using a hash function that receives as input at least a unique client identifier for the client computer system to which the document is to be dispatched and a secret key known to the server computer system and to the client computer system;
c) for at least one of the original URLs, performing the following;
i) including the digital signature in the original URL to modify the original URL; and
ii) replacing the original URL in the document with the modified URL; and
d) initiating the transfer of the document with the modified URLs to the client computer system.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Preparing a document for transmission over a network in a manner that increases the security of URLs included in the document. A server accesses a document that contains a number of URLs. For one or more of those URLs, the server calculates a digital signature that is unique to the intended recipient client, or unique to the user of the client. The server then modifies each of those URLs by including the digital signature in the URL. The document with the modified URLs in then transmitted over the network to the client. Thus, even if a sensitive URL is discovered, that modified URL is unique to the client only or to the user of the client only. Therefore, the damage that may be caused by an unauthorized user is limited to just that client or user.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a network system that includes a server computer system and a client computer system, wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting a document that contains Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to the client computer system, a method of the server computer system dispatching the document to the client computer system in a manner that increases the security of one or more of the Uniform Resource Locators in the document even if the document is intercepted during transmission, the method comprising the following:
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a) obtaining a document that contains original URLs; b) calculating a digital signature that is unique to the client computer system or unique to a user of the client computer system, wherein at least a portion of the digital signature is generated using a hash function that receives as input at least a unique client identifier for the client computer system to which the document is to be dispatched and a secret key known to the server computer system and to the client computer system; c) for at least one of the original URLs, performing the following; i) including the digital signature in the original URL to modify the original URL; and ii) replacing the original URL in the document with the modified URL; and d) initiating the transfer of the document with the modified URLs to the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer program product for use in a network system that includes a server computer system and a client computer system, wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting a document that contains Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to the client computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method of the server computer system dispatching the document to the client computer system in a manner that increases the security of one or more of the Uniform Resource Locators in the document even if the document is intercepted during transmission, the computer program product comprising computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following:
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a) causing a document that contains original URLs to be accessed; b) calculating a digital signature that is unique to the client computer system or unique to a user of the client computer system, wherein at least a portion of the digital signature is generated using a hash function that receives as input at least a unique client identifier for the client computer system to which the document is to be dispatched and a secret key known to the server computer system and to the client computer system; c) for at least one of the original URLs, performing the following; i) including the digital signature in the original URL to modify the original URL; and ii) replacing the original URL in the document with the modified URL; and d) causing the document to be transferred with the modified URLs to the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A server computer system in a network system that includes the server computer system and a client computer system, wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting a document that contains Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to the client computer system, the server computer system enabled to dispatch the document to the client computer system in a manner that increases the security of one or more of the Uniform Resource Locators in the document even if the document is intercepted during transmission, the server system comprising at least one computer processor and at least one computer-readable medium, the at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform the following:
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a) obtaining a document that contains original URLs; b) calculating a digital signature that is unique to the client computer system or unique to a user of the client computer system, wherein at least a portion of the digital signature is generated using a hash function that receives as input at least a unique client identifier for the client computer system to which the document is to be dispatched and a secret key known to the server computer system and to the client computer system; c) for at least one of the original URLs, performing the following; i) including the digital signature with the original URL to generate a modified URL; and ii) replacing the original URL in the document with the modified URL; and d) initiating the transfer of the document with the modified URLs to the client computer system.
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Specification