Secure network access

• US 8,200,966 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eWise Systems Pty Ltd. (eWise Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eWise Systems Pty Ltd. (eWise Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chazan, Mark, Grinberg, Alexander, Kontorovich, Mike, Reyburn, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIE, OSCAR A
• Application Number:
  US10/468,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,771 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 380/281, 380/282, 380/284, 380/285
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for facilitating access to secure network sites, such as sites providing secure financial information. An active software agent is utilized to fetch passwords and user identifiers from a user computing system and to use the passwords and identifiers to extract required information from the secure site. The password sites and identifiers are encrypted and an encryption key is stored at a network mode remote from the user'"'"'s computer and is fetched in order to enable the passwords and identifiers to be decrypted so that the active agent can use them to obtain the required information.

Claims

1. A system for providing a user access to a secure network site comprising:

a computer-based system including at least one processor and further including;

an active agent engine;

an active agent located remotely to a user computer system, the active agent executable by the active agent engine on the user computing system;

a user access repository accessible by the user computer system and storing user access data for the secure network site in an encrypted form;

a private decryption key repository located remotely from the user system and storing a user'"'"'s private decryption key;

the active agent configured to retrieve a user'"'"'s private decryption key in response to a user request, the user'"'"'s private decryption key including information for decrypting the user access data;

the active agent engine further configured to decrypt the user access data with the user'"'"'s private decryption key; and

the active agent engine configured to decrypt the user access data, access the secure network using the decrypted user access data to obtain content information from the secure network site and provide the content information to the user computing system; and

a presentation manager configured to present the content information from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the active agent includes use authorization data that authorizes the active agent to be used with the system.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the user computer system includes checking data for checking the use authorization data of the active agent.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user access data is accessible only via the user computing system.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the user access data is stored on the user computer system.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system is configured to facilitate access to a plurality of secure network sites.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a plurality of active agents configured to access the respective plurality of secure network sites.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of active agents uses the decrypted user access data authorizing the respective agent to the respective secure network site.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the presentation manager is configured to provide links to the secure network sites that can be operated by the user computer system to connect the user computer system directly to the secure network sites, and automatically utilise the respective active agent to authenticate the user to the secure network sites by decrypting the user access data with the user'"'"'s private decryption key and automatically providing the user access data to the secure site.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an active agent repository stored at a network node remote from the user computer system, the active agent accessible from the active agent repository.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the active agent is accessible from a remote location and is fetched by the active agent engine prior to being stored on the user computer system.

12. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user computing system includes a controller that controls operation of the active agent to access the secure network site.

13. A system comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium embedded with a computer program that includes instructions for implementing the system in accordance with claim 1.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the active agent automatically obtains content other than browser functionality of the user computing system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the active agent is programmable to carry out predefined tasks in an automated fashion.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined tasks are in the group consisting essentially of:

accessing a website, navigating the website, authenticating the user to the website site, navigating the website to identify user-specific information, navigating the website to identify bank account balances, presenting information to the user in a summary form, and automatically navigating the electronic bill payment and electronic funds transfer functionality of the website.

17. The system of claim 14, comprising:

a presentation manager accessible by the user computing system, the presentation manager receiving the content from the active agent and presenting the information to the user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the active agent is configured to replicate actions required by the secure network site as part of a user authentication process of the secure network site.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the active agent engine is further configured to discard the private decryption key after decrypting the user access data.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the active agent is stored remotely from the user computing system, and wherein the active agent engine is further configured to retrieve the active agent over a network gateway.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the active agent engine selects the active agent in accordance with a user profile generated for the user when the user registers on the network gateway.

22. A method of facilitating access to a secure network site for a user computing system comprising the steps of:

providing, to the user computing system, a decryption key stored remotely from the user computing system;

causing the decryption of user access data stored on the user computing system with the decryption key;

receiving the decrypted user access data by an active agent, the active agent located remotely to the user computing system and executable locally on the user computing system by an active agent engine;

causing the utilization of the decrypted user access data to obtain content from the secure network site and provide the content to the user computing system; and

providing a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, further comprising allowing the control of operation of the active agent by the user computing system.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, further comprising transmitting the active agent to the user computer system from a remote location and then causing the execution of the active agent in order to obtain the content from the secure network site.

25. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the step of causing the utilization of the decrypted user access data includes the steps of utilizing a plurality of active agents to obtain content from a respective plurality of secure network sites.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, further comprising causing the presentation of the retrieved content from the plurality of respective secure network sites in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

27. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the step of providing the decryption key includes the step of obtaining the user access key via the user computing system.

28. A method of facilitating access to a secure network site, the method including the steps of:

transmitting a decryption key stored remotely to a user;

causing the decryption of user access data stored on a user computing system;

receiving the decrypted user access data by an active agent, the active agent located remotely from the user computing system and executable locally on the user computing system by an active agent engine;

authorizing the active agent to access the secure network site, the active agent configured to access the secure network site on behalf of the user, and configured to utilize the decrypted user access data to automatically obtain content from the secure network site in response to a user query from the user computing system; and

providing a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embedded with a computer program that includes instructions for implementing the method in accordance with claim 28.

30. A system configured to facilitate access by a user to a secure network site comprising:

a computer-based system including at least one processor and further including;

encrypted access data for accessing the secure network site and accessible on a user computer system; and

an active agent configured to access the secure network site on behalf of the user, the active agent located remotely from the user computing system on the secure network site and executable locally on the user computing system by an active agent engine, the active agent configured to, in response to a user query, obtain a decrypted access key for enabling access to the secure network site, and to utilize the access key to obtain content from the secure network site;

a registration system including a directory listing active agents that the user has access to and a private key repository storing information for decrypting the encrypted access data; and

a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computer system.

31. A remote agent provider system comprising:

a computer-based system including at least one processor and further including;

encrypted access data for accessing a secure network site and being provided on a user computing system;

an active agent located remotely from the user computing system on the secure network site but executed locally on the user computing system by an active agent engine, the active agent configured to obtain decrypted access data for enabling access to the secure network site in response to a user query from the user computing system, and to utilize the access data to obtain content from the secure system;

an active agent repository storing the active agent and accessible by the user computing system, and a private key repository storing information for decrypting the encrypted access data; and

a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computer system.

32. A user computing system to facilitate access to a secure network site comprising:

a computer-based system including at least one processor and further including;

encrypted access data for accessing the secure network site; and

an active agent engine configured to retrieve the access data from a remote private key repository to decrypt the access data,

an active agent located remotely from the user computing system on the secure network site, and executable on behalf of the user, the active agent configured to access the secure network site on behalf of the user and use the decrypted access data to obtain content from the secure network site in response to a user query; and

a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computer system.

33. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embedded with a computer program configured to cause a user computing system to:

provide an active agent engine configured to receive a private decryption key from a remote private key repository and decrypt encrypted access data stored on the user computing system; and

an active agent executable by the active agent engine on behalf of a user and configured to automatically access a secure network site on behalf of the user and obtain the decrypted access data for enabling access to the secure network site and to utilize the decrypted access data to obtain content from the secure network site and provide the content to the user computing system, the active agent located remotely to the user computer system and executable by the active agent engine on the user computing system;

provide a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

34. A method of automating access to a secure network site comprising:

receiving registration information from a user including user access data for the secure network site;

encrypting the user access data by generating a unique private encryption/decryption key;

providing the encrypted user access data to a user computing system for storage in a digital safe;

causing the user computing system to store the private encryption/decryption key for the user in a private key depository, the private key depository located remotely from the user computing system via a network gateway, the private encryption/decryption key including information for decrypting the user access data;

storing an active agent for the secure network site, the active agent located remotely to the user computing system and being locally executable by the user computing system, the active agent accessible by the user computing system via the network gateway and configured to automatically retrieve content from the secure network site using the decrypted user access data; and

providing a presentation manager configured to present the content from the secure network site in an aggregated manner on the user computing system.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

encrypting/decrypting the user access data stored in the digital safe by accessing the private decryption key; and

retrieving the active agent for execution by an active agent engine.