Abstract: The present invention provides a method that allows the MashSSL protocol to be used to provide a secure and efficient way for delegated authentication. The invention allows services which already have an SSL infrastructure to reuse that infrastructure for delegated authentication, and to do so in a fashion where the cryptographic overhead is amortized across multiple users, and which provides the user with greater control of what information is shared on their behalf.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method that facilitates secure cross domain mashups in an efficient fashion. The invention allows a first entity, the Masher, to establish at a second entity, the User, a secure mashup by obtaining information from, or taking actions at, a third entity, the Mashee, by using a novel twist to the SSL protocol. The invention is further extended to secure a hub and widget architecture, which allows one Masher to establish at a User, communication with several Mashees. Mutual authentication of all entities, key distribution for authentication, privacy and code verification and dynamic authorization based on the certificate information are provided by the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method that allows three parties to mutually authenticate each other and share an encrypted channel. The invention is based on a novel twist to the widely used two party transport level SSL protocol. One party, typically a user at a browser, acts as a man in the middle between the other two parties, typically two web servers with regular SSL credentials. The two web servers establish a standard mutually authenticated SSL connection via the user's browser, using a novel variation of the SSL handshake that guarantees that a legitimate user is in the middle.