Patent ID: 7418736

Claim:
A method of providing security in a network system, the method comprising: receiving a message from a user, which message requires authentication of the user, sending an authentication message indicating the identity of the user to an initial software security agent, the software security agent, on receipt of the authentication message, determining whether information relating to the user is stored on a security database associated with the software security agent, and, if so, the software security agent adding an authentication key to the authentication message, sending the authentication message on to one or more further software security agents, repeating the steps of determining whether information related to the user is stored on a security database associated with the further software security agent (s) and, if so, adding an authentication key to the authentication message and sending the authentication message on to one or more further software security agents until the number of keys associated with the authentication message equals a predetermined number, when the number of associated keys associated with the authentication message equals a predetermined number, sending the authentication message to the initial software security agent which then grants the required permission to the user.