Patent ID: 7624180

Claim:
A system for communicating over a network having a plurality of secured users utilizing at least two multi-level network security devices and a plurality of unsecured users employing no network security devices, the system comprising: a first multi-level network security device associated with a first secure network configured to: intercept a message sent from a first user to a second user; discard the message if the message violates security parameters; and if the message is not discarded for violation of security parameters, the first multi-level security device is configured to dynamically determine whether the second user is secured or unsecured by contacting a second multi-level security device associated with a second secured network to determine whether the second user is associated with the second secure network; wherein in a first mode, the first multi-level network security device is configured to send the message to the second user over an unsecured network in an unsecured manner when the first multi-level security device does not receive a response from the second multi-level network security device, and wherein in a second mode, the first multi-level network security device comprises an encryptor configured to encrypt the message and send the encrypted message securely over the unsecured network when the first security device receives a response from second multi-level network security device that the second user is associated with the second secure network.