Remote access method

• US 8,688,971 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT IT Corp. (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: NTT IT Corp. (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Ichinose, Susumu, Takaya, Kentaro, Kato, Kikuji, Shirouzu, Hiroaki, Hayakawa, Shinpei
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, TAE K
• Application Number:
  US12/028,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 726/6, 726/9, 726/15, 726 26- 28, 713/155, 713/156, 713/183, 713/185, 713/150, 713/153, 713/182, 380/277, 709/217, 709/218, 709223-229
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

All operations available on an intranet are securely performed from an outside of the intranet without taking out a file on the intranet from the intranet. A file on the intranet is not taken out, but, instead of this, image information on a target computer 1 is transmitted to an operational computer 4 with the http protocol, the https protocol, or the SSL protocol, and keyboard information, pointing information, or the like are transmitted from an operational computer 4 to the target computer 1. Consequently, the target computer 1 is operated.

Claims

1. A remote access method in which an operational computer on an intranet accesses a target computer on the same or on another intranet via a relay management server on the Internet, comprising:

a step in which each user carries an external storage medium having unique identification information different from each other;

a step in which the target computer transmits authentication information on each user to the relay management server to establish a connection;

a step in which at least a portion of a program for connecting the operational computer and the relay management server is stored in advance in the external storage medium;

a step in which the external storage medium having the unique identification information is connected to the operational computer;

a step in which the operational computer processes the unique identification information to generate special authentication information for the relay management server to perform authentication;

a step in which the user inputs authentication information for authentication of the user from the operational computer;

a step in which the operational computer transmits authentication information and the special authentication information for authentication of the user to the relay management server at the same time; and

a step in which the relay management server permits connection to the operational computer by one time of authentication when the both of the authentication information and the special authentication information for authentication of the user are transmitted from the operational computer;

wherein, the relay management server is not on the intranet of the operational computer or on the Intranet of the target computer, and operational computers in more than two intranets can access the relay management server and the relay management server can access target computers in more than two Intranets; and

wherein, the relay management server transmits image information on the target computer to the operational computer without taking out a file recorded in the target computer and transmits keyboard information or pointing information from the operational computer to the target computer without taking out a file recorded in the operational computer.

2. The remote access method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the target computer uses an http protocol, an https protocol, or an SSL protocol to transmit the image information without transmitting the file recorded in the target computer to the operational computer via the relay management server,

the operational computer uses the http protocol, the https protocol, or the SSL protocol to transmit keyboard information or pointing information without transmitting the file recorded in the operational computer to the target computer via the relay management server,

the relay management server translates information on the target computer to transfer to the operational computer and translates information on the operational computer to transfer to the target computer,

a tunneling connection utilizing port 80 is performed by using two sessions or more when not using https or SSL, and

a tunneling connection utilizing port 443 is performed by using one session or more when the https protocol or the SSL protocol is used.

3. The remote access method as recited in claim 1,

wherein a portion which cannot be rewritten by a user is provided at least in a part of a memory area of the external storage medium, and

at least a part of a program for connecting the operational computer and the relay management server is stored in the portion which cannot be rewritten.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium used for accessing a target computer by connecting the external storage medium to an operational computer in a remote access method as in claim 1 for accessing the target computer from the operational computer over a network,

wherein unique identification information for identifying the external storage medium and original user information as user authentication information are stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

5. The remote access method as recited in claim 2,

wherein a software which connects the operational computer to the relay management server is stored in the external storage medium and is designed to operate without overwriting a registry.

6. The remote access method as recited in claim 2,

wherein the target computer and the relay management server communicate with the http protocol and a packet is processed to perform a tunneling connection, wherein said tunneling connection is utilizing port 80.

7. The remote access method as recited in claim 2,

wherein the target computer and the relay management server communicate with the http protocol and two or more sessions are established between the target computer and the relay management server.

8. A remote access method in which an operational computer on an intranet accesses a target computer on the same or on another intranet via a relay management server on the Internet, comprising:

a step in which each user carries an external storage medium having unique identification information different from each other;

a step in which the target computer transmits authentication information on each user to the relay management server to establish a connection;

a step in which at least a portion of a program for connecting the operational computer and the relay management server is stored in advance in the external storage medium;

a step in which the external storage medium having the unique identification information is connected to the operational computer;

a step in which the operational computer processes the unique identification information to generate special authentication information for the relay management server to perform authentication;

a step in which the user inputs authentication information for authentication of the user from the operational computer;

a step in which the operational computer transmits authentication information and the special authentication information for authentication of the user to the relay management server at the same time; and

a step in which the relay management server permits connection to the operational computer by one time of authentication when the both of the authentication information and the special authentication information for authentication of the user are transmitted from the operational computer;

wherein, the relay management server is not on the intranet of the operational computer or on the Intranet of the target computer, and operational computers in more than two intranets can access the relay management server and the relay management server can access target computers in more than two Intranets; and

wherein, if the one time of authentication is achieved, the target computer transmits only information for reproducing a desktop output of the target computer to the operational computer via the relay management server.

9. The remote access method as recited in claim 8,

wherein the target computer uses an http protocol, an https protocol, or an SSL protocol to transmit the information for reproducing the desktop output of the target computer to the operational computer via the relay management server,

the operational computer uses the http protocol, the https protocol, or the SSL protocol to transmit keyboard information or pointing information to the target computer via the relay management server,

the relay management server translates the information for reproducing the desktop output of the target computer to transfer to the operational computer and translates the keyboard information or the pointing information to transfer to the target computer,

a tunneling connection utilizing port 80 is performed by using two sessions or more when not using https or SSL, and

a tunneling connection utilizing port 443 is performed by using one session or more when the https protocol or the SSL protocol is used.

10. The remote access method as recited in claim 8,

wherein a portion which cannot be rewritten by a user is provided at least in a part of a memory area of the external storage medium, and

at least a part of a program for connecting the operational computer and the relay management server is stored in the portion which cannot be rewritten.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium used for accessing a target computer by connecting the external storage medium to an operational computer in a remote access method as in claim 8 for accessing the target computer from the operational computer over a network,

wherein unique identification information for identifying the external storage medium and original user information as user authentication information are stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

12. The remote access method as recited in claim 9,

wherein a software which connects the operational computer to the relay management server is stored in the external storage medium and is designed to operate without overwriting a registry.

13. The remote access method as recited in claim 9,

wherein the target computer and the relay management server communicate with the http protocol and a packet is processed to perform a tunneling connection, wherein said tunneling connection is utilizing port 80.

14. The remote access method as recited in claim 9,

wherein the target computer and the relay management server communicate with the http protocol and two or more sessions are established between the target computer and the relay management server.