Hostage system and method for intercepting encryted hostile data
US6721424B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/0428
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for intercepting data transmissions in a system which is comprised of an external network and computers within a protected local network. A proxy server located in the communication path, between the external network and the computers, is equipped with virus detection capability and includes, also, key storage means and a hostage storage facility. If the proxy server determines that an incoming transmission from the external network contains hostile data, a key is obtained from the key storage means so as to decrypt the transmission. If no such key is available, the proxy server prevents the data transmission from entering the protected network and stores the data transmission as “hostage data” within the hostage storage facility until the intended user provides the proxy server with a key capable of decrypting the hostage data transmission.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.