Patent ID: 8225086
Filing Date: 2012-07-17
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for remotely authenticating a command, comprising: receiving a message at an authentication system from an intermediary system, wherein the message comprises: a command that is to be executed on a target system in a plurality of target systems, an identifier for the target system, and an identifier for the intermediary system; authenticating the intermediary system; if the intermediary system is successfully authenticated, authenticating the message using a private key for the authentication system to produce an authenticated message, wherein the authenticated message comprises the command, the identifier for the target system, and the identifier for the intermediary system; and sending the authenticated message to the intermediary system, thereby enabling the intermediary system to send the authenticated message to the target system so that the target system can use a public key for the authentication system to verify the authenticated message and to execute the command, wherein the public key is known to each target system in the plurality of target systems, wherein the target system verifies that the authenticated message was sent by an intermediary system known to the target system by determining whether the identifier for the intermediary system from the authenticated message is the same as an identity of the intermediary system that is determined by the target system.