METHODS AND APPARATUS USABLE WITH OR APPLICABLE TO THE USE OF THE INTERNET

摘要

A method affording privacy or anonymity on an Internet-type or other communications medium. The method affords users with standard client applications and network components privacy and anonymity by routing application requests and responses through a secure connection with a special intermediary machine. The intermediary machine is preferably on a different network segment to the client (for example on the Internet). The secure client-intermediary connection prevents "sniffers" watching the client from seeing the contents of client requests and responses even where the true destination service site is not capable of secure communications itself and the intermediary-service site connection is insecure. Clients requests may be specially formatted so that they can be routed by the standard client applications to the intermediary instead of going directly to the true service site. The intermediary listens for and then transforms these specially formatted requests into requests routable to the true destination service site and sends the requests formatted as if they originated from a client located on the intermediary machine itself. Service machines thus return responses to the intermediary thinking it is a client and the intermediary transforms and securely forwards these responses on to the true client ensuring its anonymity and communication security.