System and method for providing a secure connection between networked computers

• US 8,381,273 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Inventors: Turley, Patrick, White, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US13/332,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a system, method, and computer program product for obtaining secure connectivity between networked computing devices. The invention comprises utilizing a network protocol inherent to an operating system on a client device to automatically set up and establish a transient secure network connection endpoint on the client device. The act of utilizing can be a result of a server device responding to a connection request from the client device. The act of establishing the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client device creates a transient secure network connection between the server device and the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client device without manual intervention or configuration by a user at the client device. Secured access by the client device to one or more network devices is permitted until the transient secure network connection between the server device and the client device is severed.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining secure connectivity between a server computer and a client computer, comprising:

utilizing a network protocol inherent to an operating system on the client computer to automatically set up and establish a transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer, wherein the utilizing is a result of a response comprising dynamically generated session-specific connection information, session-specific connection profile, or a combination thereof from the server computer to a request from the client computer, and wherein establishing the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer creates a transient secure network connection between the server computer and the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer without manual intervention or configuration by a user at the client computer; and

permitting secured access by the client computer to one or more network devices communicatively connected to the server computer via the transient secure network connection until the transient secure network connection between the server computer and the client computer is severed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more network devices reside in a private network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one the one or more network devices is a second server computer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server computer comprises a virtual private network server and wherein the transient secure network connection endpoint comprises a transient virtual private network end point.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server computer comprises a wireless access point, a router, or a combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the network protocol is installed on the client computer; and

installing the network protocol on the client computer if the network protocol is not installed on the client computer.

7. A computer program product comprising at least two non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions translatable by at least two processors to perform:

utilizing a network protocol inherent to an operating system on a client computer to automatically set up and establish a transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer, wherein the utilizing is a result of a response comprising dynamically generated session-specific connection information, session-specific connection profile, or a combination thereof from a server computer to a request from the client computer, and wherein establishing the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer creates a transient secure network connection between the server computer and the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer without manual intervention or configuration by a user at the client computer; and

permitting secured access by the client computer to one or more network devices communicatively connected to the server computer via the transient secure network connection until the transient secure network connection between the server computer and the client computer is severed.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the one or more network devices reside in a private network.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein at least one the one or more network devices is a second server computer.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the server computer comprises a virtual private network server and wherein the transient secure network connection endpoint comprises a transient virtual private network end point.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the server computer comprises a wireless access point, a router, or a combination thereof.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the instructions are translatable by the at least one processor to perform:

determining whether the network protocol is installed on the client computer; and

installing the network protocol on the client computer if the network protocol is not installed on the client computer.

13. A system, comprising:

at least two processors; and

at least two non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions translatable by the at least two processors to perform;

utilizing a network protocol inherent to an operating system on a client computer to automatically set up and establish a transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer, wherein the utilizing is a result of a response comprising dynamically generated session-specific connection information, session-specific connection profile, or a combination thereof from a server computer to a request from the client computer, and wherein establishing the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer creates a transient secure network connection between the server computer and the transient secure network connection endpoint on the client computer without manual intervention or configuration by a user at the client computer; and

permitting secured access by the client computer to one or more network devices communicatively connected to the server computer via the transient secure network connection until the transient secure network connection between the server computer and the client computer is severed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more network devices reside in a private network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one the one or more network devices is a second server computer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the server computer comprises a virtual private network server and wherein the transient secure network connection endpoint comprises a transient virtual private network end point.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the server computer comprises a wireless access point, a router, or a combination thereof.