Abstract: A method of applying policy enforcement in a computing system comprises applying an authorisation policy within a secure hardware domain; and applying a digital signature within a secure hardware domain.

Abstract: A database system comprises an encrypted index; and a secure component capable of manipulating said encrypted index.

Abstract: There is disclosed a secure processing environment comprising a processor, at least one memory containing operating code, and a communications interface. The processor when running the operating code is adapted only to accept executable code for services, to be run by the processor in response to requests received through the communications interface, through the communications interface by means of a secure loading process. Data structures involved in connection with loading such code are disclosed, as are communication methods for providing such code. Methods of manufacturing and initialising such a secure processing environment are also discussed.

Abstract: A method of producing an audit record of at least one event, comprises: creating a message comprising: data relating to said event; a digest data; a time data; and signing said event data, digest data, and time data.

Abstract: An operating system for processing multiple tasks, the operating system comprising means for generating the multiple tasks including data indicating a time at which or by which (and/or a frequency at which and/or one or more events in response to which) the task should be processed, means for associating time stamp data with the tasks, said time stamp data being indicative of the date and/or time at which the respective tasks were generated, and means for receiving said tasks for processing at a particular time, determining from the associated time stamp for each task the date and/or time at which said task was generated, determining whether or not the processing of said task at said particular time is consistent with one or more predetermined operating system policies, and causing said task to be processed at said particular time only if such processing is determined to be consistent with said operating system policies.

Abstract: A method for packaging digital evidence for long term validation comprises forming a package of a digital document (10), an electronic signature (12) for the document (10), together with evidence (16) of the authority of the signature in the document and a time stamp (20) indicating when the document was digitally signed. All of the pieces form parts of the packaged evidence.

Abstract: Computer apparatus for accessing by a user an electronic service provided by a remote service provider comprising a receiver for receiving an authorisation policy, wherein the authorisation policy defines access requirements to the electronic service; and a trusted device for determining the users authorisation to access the electronic service based upon the authorisation policy and at least one attribute associated with the user, wherein the trusted device is arranged to inhibit the user accessing the authorisation policy.

Abstract: A long-term digital document storage system, comprising means for receiving one or more digital documents for storage in a storage means, one or more storage sites for storing, in association with the one or more digital documents, metadata defining a data management strategy or “agreement” with respect to the one or more digital documents, the “agreement including one or more “clauses” defining respective constraints to be applied by the storage system to the one or more digital documents, the system further comprising means for configuring the data management strategy or agreement by defining or specifying at least some of the constraints individually according to specific requirements related to said one or more pieces of digital data. As such, the invention is concerned with the fine-grained management of documents within a storage system by the flexible definition and association with a document of a number of clauses (i.e.

Abstract: A method of processing a request for a reminder to be sent to a user, comprising: (a) receiving, at a first node in a distributed network, a request for a reminder to be sent to the user on a specified occasion; and then (b) sending a derivative of the reminder to a second node in the said network. The derivative may be a replica or a fragment of the reminder. In the first case, the method preferably further comprises: (c) sending the reminder to the user from the first node on the specified occasion; and (d) sending a cancellation signal to the second node to instruct it not to send a reminder to the user.

Abstract: A digital storage system for storing digital documents, the system comprising a trusted storage service provider including an encryption module for encrypting a digital document prior to storage thereof using an encryption key generated using a random number generator, remote archive storage sites for storing the encrypted item of data, and a corporate key store for storing an n-bit decryption key (which maybe the same as the encryption key or maybe different, but mathematically related thereto) for use in decrypting a document if required, the system further comprising a key degrading module for progressively degrading said decryption key by periodically discarding or changing at least one bit at a time thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus for facilitating management of a plurality of inter-related contracts, which apparatus comprises:

Abstract: The invention concerns method and apparatus for the selection of a service provider for providing a service to a system—for instance, for selecting a telecommunciations service provider. The apparatus comprises a system monitor 20, a data gathering system 30 and an analysis engine 50. The system monitor 20 is arranged to monitor and store data concerning system usage, to capture parameters relating such usage and store them in a data store 22. The data gathering system 30 gathers data relating to costs of service provision and contract terms associated with such provision from potential service providers. The analysis engine 50 comprises a controller 52 and a database 54. The database 54 contains details of contract terms associated with service provision that are potentially acceptable to the user and those which are not acceptable.

Abstract: The invention provides electronic document interpretation apparatus for providing explanatory text to assist in the interpretation of an electronic formal legal document with narrative language text, said apparatus comprising a database of explanatory and/or commentary text in records associated with textual elements of the said document, and a first processor operable to allow a user to read and/or write selected ones of said records whilst reading or writing the legal document. Also provided is an electronic formal legal document comprising a textual element and a tag associated with the said textual element, the said tag providing a link to reproducible explanatory or commentary text relating to the said textual element.

Abstract: International business requires contractual relations to be established across jurisdictions. Different jurisdictions have different laws, customs, languages and obligations concerning contractual relations. Thus a standard contract can rarely be used across different jurisdictions. Using a contract template and processing this with a mapping database using a conversion engine, enables substantially automated localisation of a contract template to be achieved. This significantly reduces the cost and effort to enter a new market.