Abstract: A method for authenticating a user of a third party online service includes steps for receiving a device identifier and registration information from a client device of the user, the registration information comprising data that links the device identifier with a third-party account, gathering reputational information regarding the third-party account from one or more reputational sources, associating the reputational information with the device identifier, verifying, in response to receiving a reputation request regarding the third-party account, a request source of the reputation request, and providing, in response to verification of the request source, the reputational information to the request source. The method may be executed by a device authority, such as a computer server, operating through a computer network.

Abstract: A system for securing an electronic communication comprises a gateway server configured to receive and store a device identifier and a network address from a first computing device. The device identifier identifies the first computing device, and the network address is associated with the first computing device. Thereafter, the gateway server receives from a second computing device the network address of the first computing device and an encryption key request. The gateway server derives from the device identifier for the first computing device an encryption key and sends the encryption key to the second computing device. A communication from the second computing device to the first computing device may thereafter be secured using the encryption key. A related method of securing an electronic communication is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for auditing the use of software on a computing device comprises a data collection server. In response to a communication link being available between the data collection server and the computing device, the data collection server is configured to: (1) receive from the computing device, via the communication link, data including (a) a software identifier identifying the software, (b) a device identifier identifying the computing device, and (c) an event identifier identifying a usage event performed by the software; (2) access a database storing previously received software identifiers, device identifiers, and event identifiers; and (3) update the database to include the received data. A method for auditing the use of software on a computing device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A network fail-over system provides redundant first and second secure proxy servers, first and second authentication servers each communicatively coupled to the proxy servers, first and second service monitors configured to monitor, respectively, operating status of the first and second authentication servers, the second service monitor configured to set an operating status of the second authentication server and to accept communication traffic from the first proxy server based on the operating status of the first authentication server, wherein the first service monitor is configured to set an operating status of the first authentication server and to accept communication traffic from the second proxy server based on the operating status of the second authentication server, and wherein the authentication servers are each configured to determine an access privilege of a client device by authenticating a client identifier received from the client device, the client identifier derived from a user-configurable pa

Abstract: A method for protecting software from tampering includes steps for processing first compiled software stored in a computer memory to generate a first key part, the first compiled software configured to perform software protection functions and defined second functions distinct from the software protection functions when executed, and the first key part consisting of a first portion of the first compiled software comprising executable code compiled from the software protection functions, generating an identifier and a second key part for each of the defined second functions, generating a cryptographic key determined from the first key part and the second key part, encrypting a second portion of the first compiled software using the cryptographic key to produce second compiled software comprising the first portion in unencrypted form and the second portion encrypted with the cryptographic key, wherein the second portion comprises executable code compiled from the defined second functions, and storing the second

Abstract: A method for protecting software from tampering includes steps for processing, using a computer, first compiled software stored in a computer memory to generate a cryptographic key, the first compiled software configured to perform software protection functions and defined second functions distinct from the software protection functions when executed by a computer processor, the cryptographic key consisting of a first portion of the first compiled software comprising executable code compiled from the software protection functions, encrypting a second portion of the first compiled software using the cryptographic key to produce second compiled software comprising the first portion in unencrypted form and the second portion encrypted with the cryptographic key, wherein the second portion comprises executable code compiled from the defined second functions, and storing the second compiled software in a computer memory for distribution to a client device.