Patent ID: 6993582

Claim:
A system for communicating over a network having a plurality of secured users utilizing multi-level network security devices and a plurality of unsecured users employing no network security devices, said system comprising: an interface unit configured to send a message from a first user; a first multi-level network security device configured to: intercept said message from the first user; and discard said message if said message violates security parameters associated with said interface unit, wherein in a first mode, the first multi-level network security device is configured to send said message to a second user, and wherein in a second mode, the first multi-level network security device comprises an encryptor configured to encrypt said message and send said encrypted message to a second multi-level network security device, and wherein in said second mode the second multi-level network security device comprises a decryptor configured to decrypt the message and send said decrypted message from said second multi-level network security device to a third user selected from said plurality of secured users.