Patent ID: 8423676

Claim:
A method for associating a user identity used for accessing a network, comprising: recognizing an application session between the network and an application via a security gateway, wherein the recognizing comprises: identifying a pattern of a data packet transmitted between the network and the application; and matching the pattern with an application identifier for the application; and creating an application session record for the application session, wherein the application session record comprises an application session time and a user identity for using the application session via a host having a host identity, wherein the creating comprises: sending a query to an identity server, wherein the query comprises the application session time and the host identity; receiving a response from the identity server to the query, wherein the response comprises a second user identity, wherein the identity server comprises an access session record for an access session between the host and the security gateway, wherein the access session record comprises an access session time, wherein the receiving comprises: comparing by the identity server the access session time with the application session time; and storing the second user identity as the user identity for using the application session in the application session record.