Abstract: A system, method and apparatus providing for the search, identification, retrieval and analysis of data contained in World Wide Web (WWW) and network pages and storage repositories. Mechanisms are provided to facilitate selection of such data as is required by a user, to report in a manner required by the user and to present the results in a plurality of ways. Also disclosed is a system, method to protect information retrieval from Information Servers such as those found on the world wide web (WWW). A method is described to analyze accesses to the information server for patterns indicating the type of system accessing the server. A method is described to format information such that it cannot be easily machine analyzed by such apparatus as lexical analysis and textual search methods. A method is described to include information into information server contents such that it would mislead and otherwise confuse non-human systems used to retrieve the data.

Abstract: Method for geographically network equipment on a communications network, such as the Internet, using communication times to and from the network equipment to be located. Communication time measurements are taken from measuring stations on the network to the equipment to be geographically located and also to other locations of known and unknown location. The probability of the network timing characteristics from the measuring stations to the equipment to be located being most similar to the network timing characteristics of said measuring stations to other equipment of know location is calculated to determine the geographical locations having the highest probability of being proximate to the equipment to be located.