Patent ID: 8316429
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a proxy, a client hello message from a client; transmitting, from said proxy to an Internet host, a request for a digital certificate associated with the Internet host; extracting, at the proxy, information from the digital certificate associated with the Internet host; categorizing, at the proxy, said Internet host into one or more content categories according to said information extracted from the digital certificate, said categorizing including maintaining a table at said proxy wherein each Internet host is associated with a category which defines attributes of the Internet host or content associated with the Internet host; and based on the one or more content categories into which the Internet host is categorized, determining, at the proxy, whether to (i) pass encrypted communication between a client and the Internet host through the proxy without decrypting the encrypted communication at the proxy or (ii) decrypt the encrypted communication between the client and the Internet host so as to permit examination of the encrypted communication at the proxy.