Patent ID: 7636940
Filing Date: 2009-12-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a first server on a first network, wherein the first network is protected from a second network by a firewall, and wherein the first server is adapted to store an encrypted private key, to decrypt the private key using a passphrase, and to communicate with clients on the second network using the private key wherein the first server comprises a memory and a processor; and a second server on the first network to monitor the first server to determine whether an intrusion has occurred from the second network into the first server, to store the passphrase, and to provide the passphrase to the first server only when no intrusion has occurred from the second network into the first server, or in the event such an intrusion has occurred, only after corrective action has been taken with respect to the first server; wherein the second server authenticates the first server before providing the passphrase to the first server; and wherein, to authenticate the first server, the second server sends a challenge to the first server, receives a challenge response from the first server, decrypts the challenge response, and compares the decrypted challenge response to the challenge.