Patent ID: 7877792

Claim:
A method for authenticating a first user in a protected network to an application program shared concurrently with a second user in an unprotected network, said method comprising the steps of: a first server within said protected network receiving a user ID and password from the first user for authentication for accessing said application, program, said application program residing in a computer on a third network configured as a buffer between said protected network and said unprotected network; said first server determining that said userID and password are authentic, and in response, said first server forwarding to said application program an authentication key for said first user and a request by said first user for data; said application program determining that said key is authentic, and in response, said application program complying with said request by said first user without said password being sent from said protected network into said third network; and said application program receiving another userID and another password from the second user, said application program determining that said other userID and said other password are authentic, and in response, said application program complying with a request by said second user.