Patent ID: 6948060
Filing Date: 2005-09-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: sending a network use digital contract from a policy administrator to a network element, wherein the network use digital contract comprises a term to allow encrypted communications from the network element to be decrypted by an entity other than addressees of the encrypted communications; sending a network monitoring digital contract from the policy administrator to a network monitoring element; wherein the network monitoring digital contract comprises a term to allow the network monitoring element to monitor communications from the network element, even if the encrypted communications are not addressed to the network monitoring element; sending decrypting information from the policy administrator to the network monitoring element in accordance with the network monitoring digital contract and the network use digital contract, the decrypting information to allow the network monitoring element to monitor a decrypted version of an encrypted communication from the network element; and before sending the network monitoring digital contract to the network monitoring element, performing at least one operation from the group consisting of: receiving a digital certificate for the network monitoring element at the policy administrator; and receiving a digital signature for the network monitoring element at the policy administrator.