Patent ID: 8683572

Claim:
A system for authenticating a user on a public data network based on the Internet Protocol (“IP”) comprising: an originating host connected to said IP network and associated with said user; a control information generator coupled to the originating host to insert control information into a plurality of IP data packets emanating from said originating host, wherein the control information includes user verification information inserted into the payload portion of a data packet, and wherein the header of the plurality of IP data packets remains unchanged; one or more intermediate devices configured to run standard IP that transmit said plurality of IP data packets based on said unchanged header without the routing being affected by said control information in the payload portion of said IP data packets; and a receiving host connected to said IP network for receiving data packets from said originating host, including a function which operates to identify data packets containing said control information in the payload portion, authenticating the user based on said user verification information, and restoring said payload portion of a data packet without said control information.