Patent ID: 9313196
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for providing a user of a plurality of users with remote access to a network device via a computer system that comprises a processing device and memory accessible by the processing device, and that is configured to communicate with the network device via a first network and with a user of the plurality of users via a second network, wherein the memory stores computer-accessible program code and a web application, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the web application via the second network, a login request from a first user of the plurality of users that includes a login credential; validating the login credential received from the first user at the login request receiving step against a predetermined login credential that is unique to the first user with respect to login credentials among other users of the plurality of users; receiving, at the web application via the second network, a request from the first user for access to the network device; retrieving from memory a login credential for the network device that is common to the plurality of users; dynamically creating a path to the network device that comprises the first network, an endpoint of the path being automatically defined by masked data within the memory comprising at least one of the group consisting of login credential, IP address, and port setting of the network device, and forwarding the login credential of the network device retrieved from memory to the network device via the path; thereafter receiving a response from the network device; and providing the first user access, by the web application via the second network, to the response from the network device without providing the first user access to the at least one of the login credential, IP address, and port setting that comprise the masked data.