Patent ID: 8527774

Claim:
A computer implemented method, said method comprising the steps of: a) receiving, from a client application executed within a Web-browser client on a client system, a request to initiate a connection directed to a remote Web service, wherein said connection is identified by a communications protocol identifier, said step of receiving including the steps of: i) performing an authentication challenge directed to a user of said Web-browser client where a secure token is not present in a local store instance corresponding to said client application, wherein said secure token corresponds to said communications protocol identifier, and performing said authentication challenge includes receiving first user credentials at a gateway server, and providing said secure token from said gateway server to said client system, and said secure token includes a timestamp; ii) receiving a first connect message to said gateway server, wherein said connect message is protocol specific to said communications protocol identifier and wherein said first connect message includes said secure token; and b) initiating, from said gateway server, a connection directed to said remote Web service in response to receiving said first connect message, said step of initiating including the steps of: i) inspecting said first connect message to identify said secure token; ii) evaluating said secure token to obtain second user credentials; iii) injecting, in replacement of said secure token, said second user credentials into a second connect message corresponding to said first connect message; and iv) sending said second connect message to said remote Web service: wherein said secure token includes a timestamp, wherein said timestamp is determinative of whether said secure token is invalid, and wherein said step of performing determines said secure token to be not present in a local store instance where said secure token is invalid; wherein said client system: i) monitors said secure token, as stored in said local store instance, for an expiration of said timestamp; ii) sends said secure token to said gateway server for updating of said timestamp; and iii) stores said secure token, as updated by said gateway server, to said local store instance; and wherein said gateway server generates said secure token by private key encryption of said first user credentials to produce a sealed object and public key encryption of said sealed object and said timestamp.