Patent ID: 7587609

Claim:
A secure messaging system, comprising: a first messaging server and a separate alert messaging database operating in a private network; and a second messaging server and an application server operating in a demilitarized zone (DMZ) network interposed between the private network and a public network; the first messaging server in the private network receiving an alert message destined for an intended recipient in the public network, sending the alert message to the separate alert messaging database in the private network for storage, generating an electronic message notification to inform the intended recipient of the alert message, and sending the message notification to the second messaging server in the DMZ network that communicates with the intended recipient; the second messaging server in the DMZ network receiving the electronic notification from the first messaging server in the private network and sending the message notification to a client device associated with the intended recipient in the public network; the application server operating in the DMZ network receiving a request from the client device for the alert message corresponding to the message notification, retrieving the alert message from the alert messaging database in the private network, and sending the alert message to the client device for presentation to the intended recipient, thereby avoiding direct communication between the first messaging server operating in the private network and the client device operating in the public network.