Patent ID: 8453196

Claim:
An interoperability network, comprising: at least one database having policy data for entities stored therein; at least one computing device for: receiving a message in a network from a first entity for a response from a second entity, wherein the first entity is a user; identifying, in the database, first policy data corresponding to the user, the first policy data being user-specific and imposing a first set of restrictions on the user to access the second entity, wherein the first set of restrictions includes a first requirement for the user to be authenticated to communicate with the second entity; identifying, in the database, second policy data associated with the second entity, the second policy data including a second set of restrictions, wherein the second set of restrictions includes at least a second requirement separate from the first requirement for the user to be authorized to communicate with the second entity; combining the first policy data with the second policy data by determining a union and logical combination of the first policy data and the second policy data to produce a combined policy data, wherein said combining of the first policy data with the second policy data is a logical combination, and wherein the first policy data is combined with the second policy data in response to the receipt of the message in the network; evaluating the combined policy data to determine whether the combined policy data is violated, wherein the combined policy data is violated when a restriction from the first set of restrictions or the second set of restrictions is violated; in response to a determination that the combined policy data is violated, rejecting the message; and in response to a determination that the combined policy data is not violated, transmitting the message to the second entity.