Patent ID: 8042168

Claim:
A method of remotely maintaining a computer system comprising: separating a first private network from the computer system using a separation firewall configured to block network traffic that initiates at the computer system and is directed to the first private network, and to selectively let pass at least some network traffic that initiates at the first private network and is directed to the computer system; wherein the computer system is connected to the first private network of a first organization, and is remotely maintained from a maintenance computer, the maintenance computer being connected to a second private network of a second organization, the first and second private networks being connected to a public network and being protected from the public network by respective first and second external firewalls, said first firewall being different from said separation firewall; establishing an isolation pipe extending from the separation firewall over the first private network to the first external firewall; and, transmitting a request to log into the computer system from the maintenance computer through the isolation pipe to the computer system.