Automatic hardware-enabled virtual private network system
US7725933B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 25, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/164
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a technique for automatically establishing efficient, remote, secure client connections to one or more locations using a smart card enabled client driver and a smart card enabled network edge device (“Subnet Box”) capable of establishing an end-to-end hardware encrypted tunnel between itself and the client. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of establishing a secure communications tunnel comprises the steps of: authenticating a remote client to a subnet box on a private network, wherein the remote client is connected to the subnet box via a public network, establishing a tunnel between the remote client and the subnet box, and encapsulating all traffic in the tunnel, wherein the tunnel is established only when a unique physical token is coupled to the remote device. The unique physical token comprises a smartcard and is configured to be inserted into a communications port of the remote device. The step of authenticating comprises the steps of: receiving an authentication packet, wherein the first authentication packet comprises an identifier identifying the unique physical token and a first random number, and transmitting a response authentic…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.