Patent ID: 7739728

Claim:
Apparatus for facilitating secure network communications between a first host in a first network and a second host in a second network, where a first policy enforcement point can disallow communications from the first host to the second host and an intermediate network device is logically interposed between the first policy enforcement point and the second host, comprising: a first policy manager in the first network which is a physical device independent of the first and second hosts comprising: physical storage including a security policy database operable to store data indicative of security policy applicable to the first host; policy management logic operable in response to a request to establish a secure session between the first host and second host to determine based on data in the security policy database whether to allow the request; and communication logic operable, if the request is determined to be allowed by the policy management logic, to signal to the intermediate network device in order to prompt automated establishment of a security pinhole for use by communications between the first host and the second host.