Patent ID: 7849495

Claim:
A method for passing security configuration information between a security policy server and a client, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: forming a first request, at the client separated by an untrusted network from a trusted network that includes the security policy server, for security configuration information that configures the client for secure communications; generating a tag that specifies a particular Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) attribute type; and sending an Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) configuration mode request message to a security gateway on an edge of the trusted network connected to the untrusted network, the message including the first request in association with the tag, wherein the gateway sends the first request to the security policy server on the trusted network, wherein: when the tag is identified by the security gateway as specifying the particular ISAKMP attribute type, the gateway treats the first request as opaque data and does not interpret the first request, and when the tag is identified by the security gateway as not specifying the particular ISAKMP attribute type, the gateway interprets the first request.