Abstract: For use during maintenance of wide area networks, a management system is disclosed for distributing security databases to security gates at each maintenance port of each network element. A distributed database manager is provided to instantaneously update the databases and gather from each database transaction records. Central to the distributed database manager is a software program that polls the security databases located at each of the network elements, deposits updated databases, and formats various management reports from transaction records and from device failure records (generated by the program). The software program enables the database manager to communicate with the network elements through either an in-band channel or an out-of-band channel. By shifting authentication of access seekers to security databases resident at each console port, security is maintained even though the network server is not in service.

Abstract: A security system is disclosed, which system is for granting access to a host computer in response to a demand from a remote computer. The security system has a permanent encryption key mounted on the remote computer. The software portion of the system provides for the identification number associated with the permanent encryption key to be sent unencrypted to the host computer. Using the identification number the host computer selects an encryption device and encrypts a transitory encryption key generated by the host computer and transmits the transitory encryption key to the remote for emplacement on a write-only receptor in the permanent encryption key. Thereafter a comparator in the host computer, in response to encrypted identifying data transmitted from the remote computer and encrypted with said the transitory encryption key, authenticates the access demand.