Patent ID: 8843641

Claim:
A plug-in connector system for protected establishment of a network connection, comprising: a network connector including an authentication unit; and a network socket including an authentication checking unit and an enabling unit, the authentication checking unit being configured to transfer a checking command to the authentication unit, the authentication unit being configured to determine a checking response based on the checking command transferred by the authentication checking unit and transfer the checking response to the authentication checking unit, determining the checking response comprising performing a cryptographic computation utilizing a stored cryptographic key; the authentication checking unit being configured to check the transferred checking response, and the enabling unit being configured to enable a physical connection between the network connector and the network socket for protected establishment of the network connection in an event of a successful check of the checking response by the authentication checking unit; wherein the network connector and the network socket each include a communication unit for wired transfer of the checking command and the checking response between the authentication unit and the authentication checking unit.