Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Multiple computer communication using cryptography – Protection at a particular protocol layer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-28
2003-05-20
Wright, Norman (Department: 2131)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Multiple computer communication using cryptography
Protection at a particular protocol layer
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567918
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of network browsing software and, in particular, to methods and systems for secure viewing and execution of Web pages saved (i.e. downloaded) from the Internet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, there has been a tremendous proliferation of computers connected to a global network known as the Internet. A “client” computer connected to the Internet can download digital information from “server” computers connected to the Internet. Client application and operating system software executing on client computers typically accepts commands from a user and obtains data and services by sending requests to server applications running on server computers connected to the Internet. A number of protocols are used to exchange commands and data between computers connected to the Internet. The protocols include the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and other protocols.
The HTTP protocol is used to access data on the World Wide Web, often referred to as “the Web.” The World Wide Web is an information service on the Internet providing documents and links between documents. The World Wide Web is made up of numerous Web sites around the world that maintain and distribute Web documents. A Web site may use one or more Web server computers that are able to store and distribute documents in one of a number of formats including the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). An HTML document can contain text, graphics, audio clips, and video clips, as well as metadata or commands providing formatting information. HTML documents also include embedded “links” that reference other data or documents located on the local computer or network server computers.
A Web browser is a client application, software component, or operating system utility that communicates with server computers via FTP, HTTP, and Gopher protocols. Web browsers receive Web documents from the network and present them to a user. Internet Explorer, available from Microsoft Corporation, of Redmond, Wash., is an example of a popular Web browser.
An intranet is a local area network containing Web servers and client computers operating in a manner similar to the World Wide Web described above. Additionally, on an intranet a Web browser can retrieve files from a file system server executing on the same computer as the Web browser, or on a remote computer on the local area network. A Web browser can retrieve files on the local area network using the “FILE” protocol, which comprises file system commands. Typically, all of the computers on an Intranet are contained within a company or organization. Many intranets include a “firewall” that functions as a gateway between the intranet and the Internet, and prevents unauthorized people from breaking into the computers of an organization. A “proxy server” is one well-known type of firewall.
In addition to data and metadata, HTML documents can contain embedded software components containing program code that perform a wide variety of operations. As used herein, the term software components refers to binary objects or programs that perform specific functions and are designed in such a way to easily operate with other components and applications. These software components expand the interactive ability of an HTML document's user interface. The components can perform other operations, such as manipulating data and playing audio or video clips. Example software components are ActiveX®, Java, JavaScript, and VBScript; however, other embedded software components can and do exist. ActiveX® is a specification developed by Microsoft Corporation for creating software components that can be embedded into an HTML document. Java is a well-known programming language that can be used to develop components called “applets,” which are transmitted with HTML documents from Web servers to client computers. JavaScript and VBScript are scripting languages that are also used to extend the capabilities of HTML. JavaScript and VBScript scripts are embedded in HTML documents. A browser executes each script and/or software component as it reaches the position in the script during interpretation of the HTML document.
Some Web pages on the Internet contain software components that perform operations that are not desired by a user. This may occur either because a component developer intentionally programmed the component to perform a malicious operation, or because a “bug” in the software causes the component to perform an unintended or malicious operation. One way in which browsers have addressed the problem of undesirable operations being performed is by use of security zones. Security zones are similar to visas that some countries issue to travelers. If the country trusts you, they stamp your passport so you can travel anywhere you like during your visit. If for some reason the country does not completely trust you, it strictly limits where you can go and what you can do during your stay.
Security Zones work the same way as visas, except that the user is in the role of the country deciding how much access to allow to visitors to the user's computer. Web sites that the user trusts—such as those on the user's intranet or from established companies in whom the user has confidence—can be designated as trusted, allowing them to run as much powerful, active content on the user's computer as desired. Sites that the user is not as sure about, can be assigned a different zone classification from which the user can strictly limit access to the user's computer.
Version 4.0 of Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer is an example of a commercially available program that includes the concept of security zones. Under this concept, each Web page belongs to exactly one security zone, and each zone defines a set of permissions for Web pages that reside in that zone. For example, these permissions control whether to run JavaScript and VBScript scripts contained in the Web page. In addition, these permissions enable or disable downloaded software in the form of Java or ActiveX® controls. Zone classification is based on the Web page's uniform resource locator (URL). Thus, each security zone grants a separate set of permissions to Web pages located in the security zone.
Additional security restrictions are imposed by the Web browser to constrain interaction of Web pages that are joined together to form HTML framesets. An HTML frameset consists of a collection of frames that allow creation of multiple document windows within one browser. Each frame appears to act like a separate browser window, displaying multiple information sources simultaneously. Within each frame a user can scroll up and down, and perform all the things that a user would normally do within a single browser window. Frames allow HTML programmers to create complex documents that present information in a useful manner. The links in a frame can control what is displayed in other frames or windows. This enables programmers to create indices or quick tabs that allow easier navigation through a single document or groups of documents. For example, selecting a link in the index frame could cause a different page to appear within another frame. As used herein, the term “domain” means a group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Within the Internet, domains are defined by their IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain. In Version 4.0 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, pages of an HTML frameset may only interact if the domain components of their URLs refer to the same domain. Thus, the security mechanisms of Internet Explorer apply equally to both zones and cross-domain access (i.e. cross-frame or frameset interactions), because both are based on URLs; however, the specific benefits are separate—correct permissions granted in zones and correct range of access allowed for domains.
Howev
Berman Eric R.
Flynn Sean L.
Hennings Eric J.
Kohnfelder Loren M.
Shenoy Sanjay G.
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Wright Norman
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