摘要 |
A system for secure communications. An authentication procedure establishes a session key between communicating entities that is used to encrypt subsequent communications. The authentication procedure can be repeated for each n messages exchanged, where n is an integer, for each web page sent and received and for any other suitable interval. An entity can establish a trusted relationship with a directory server that can act as a trusted intermediary in authentication and session key set up between two or more entities that do not trust each other. |