Patent ID: 8364772

Claim:
A computer implemented method, comprising: intercepting an unencrypted instant messaging (IM) communication sent by an originating device for transmission over a wide area network to a remote destination device; determining, using a first IM security device associated with the originating device, whether a second IM security device is available for the destination device, the determining including: transmitting, in response to intercepting the unencrypted instant messaging communication, a discovery communication including data indicating that the unencrypted instant messaging communication can be encrypted according to one or more security protocols available at the first IM security device; and determining whether a response message to the discovery communication is received from the second IM security device; in response to determining that the second IM security device is available for the destination device: transmitting a first negotiation communication to the second IM security device, the first negotiation communication including data for negotiating an encryption technique between the first and the second IM security devices to encrypt unencrypted instant messaging communications from the originating device to the destination device and to decrypt encrypted instant messaging communications from the destination device to the originating device; receiving a second negotiation communication from the second IM security device, the second negotiation communication specifying the encryption technique; encrypting the unencrypted instant messaging communication from the originating device using the encryption technique; and transmitting the encrypted instant messaging communication to the destination device, wherein the encrypted instant messaging communication is decrypted by the second IM security device for delivery to the destination device.