Patent ID: 6845452
Filing Date: 2005-01-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for providing controlled access via an external network to a resource residing on an internal network, comprising: receiving at a mediating firewall associated with the internal network an external request received via the external network and addressed to the mediating firewall, the external request comprising a request from a requesting party for response data associated with an internal computer system associated with the internal network; analyzing at the mediating firewall at least part of the content of the external request to determine whether the request is authorized; and if it is determined that the request is authorized, sending from the mediating firewall to the internal computer system an internal request, generated by the mediating firewall, comprising a request for said response data; wherein the internal request appears to the internal computer system to be a request originating from the mediating firewall and not the requesting party; and requests sent via the external network for response data associated with the internal computer system are addressed by external parties such as the requesting party to the mediating firewall and not to the internal computer system.