Patent ID: 7650495

Claim:
A method of providing an online service between a private network and a game console, the method comprising: communicatively coupling a security gateway between the game console and the private network for secure communications; receiving, from the game console, a request to establish a secure communication channel with the security gateway in order to allow the game console to communicate with one or more servers within the private network configured to provide online services via the security gateway the request includes at least a key exchange initiation message, a Kerberos authenticator, and a Kerberos security ticket the authenticator is encrypted using a first key and the security ticket is encrypted using a second key, and the first key is different than the second key; authenticating the game console using the security gateway based at least in part on the initiation message, the authenticator and the security ticket received from the game console; transmitting from the security gateway a response to the request to establish a secure communication channel the response including at least a portion of the initiation message at least a portion of the response authenticating the security gateway to the game console; establishing one or more security keys to be used by the security gateway and the game console to encrypt information to be sent to one another, the one of more security keys being based on at least portions of the security ticket and the initiation message; maintaining within the security gateway the one or more security keys as being associated with the game console; and generating a requested service in response to a request from the game console, wherein the generating of the requested service is abstracted from the authentication performed by the security gateway.