Abstract: A vault controller manages resources in a secure environment or vault dedicated to an authorized user(s) for conducting electronic business in a distributed information system. The controller includes a web server and a supervisor in a shared object library, which runs as part of an HTTP daemon. The supervisor runs as a multi-threaded process with state and data tables and a vault daemon to support launching secure processes mapped to users through digital certificates. The vault daemon generates a password for a user request based on the user ID. The vault daemon launches a vault process (VP) running in a vault mapped to the user ID. After launching, the VP returns a message to the supervisor including a token identifying the thread. The supervisor sends the user request through a socket to the secure VP mapped to the user ID. The VP receives the request and launches a VP thread to handle the request.

Abstract: A network device (100, 300) is connected to a network (102) having also a management station (107) connected thereto. The method for configuring the network device comprises the steps of transmitting from the management station a configuration packet to the network device (201), authenticating at the network device the management station as the genuine transmitter of the configuration packet (202) and decoding the configuration parameters contained in said configuration packet and storing them as the configuration parameters of the network device (203).

Abstract: The present invention prevents unauthorized access and modifications to programs and non-executable files, particularly a dialer program, stored on a personal computer system (PC) by providing a protected storage area on a hard drive of the PC wherein access to the protected storage area is controlled by the owner/user of the PC. Attempts to add, remove, or modify any of the programs and non-executable files in the protected storage area will result in an interrupt prompting the user to supply a valid password or other acknowledgement. A preferred embodiment includes a protected memory area as a part of the computer's internal random access memory (RAM) such that upon initialization of a program, the program and non-executable files are copied into the protected memory area from the protected storage area. The protected memory area may also be password protected to provide additional safeguards against unauthorized access.

Abstract: A digital work utilization monitoring method and system for preventing illegal use such as unpermitted copying of digital works so that use of the digital works can be monitored by judging whether or not the use is legally permitted and for facilitating a smooth and appropriate circulation of digital works by promoting payments of use fees for use of digital works. A use license is issued on the basis of a permission application for using a digital work and the license is embedded into the digital work by means of a digital watermark. With the license having an identification code of a device used by a user, it is judged whether or not the use of the distributed digital work is legally permitted by monitoring. The license can be issued on condition that a use fee has been paid.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to control access to operating systems sent by a server computer system to a client computer system in response to a request by the client computer system utilizing a pre-execution logon verification of user identification and password and override of the Universally Administered Address by a Locally Administered Address corresponding to the boot package to be sent to the client workstation.