Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Groove Networks, Incorporated

Nimisha Asthagiri

Walter Tuvell

Raymond Edward Ozzie

George P Moromisato

Wei Dai

Alexei Evdokimov

Mark Cote

Adam Weiss

Proper user-to-data associations are maintained in shared spaces created in a peer-to-peer collaborative system by means of a simplified and minimal user interface that permits users to easily authenticate other members of a shared space. In particular, support is provided for automatically building authenticated relationships even if users do not take the time to authenticate other users. When a user enters a shared space and views the contacts in that space, the display names of each contact are accompanied by distinctive icons that identify that authentication status of that contact. A mechanism is provided for resolving conflicts between contacts with the same display names to prevent confusion and contact 'spoofing.' Security policies can be established to provide a uniform approach to authentication. These policies can be set by a user or, alternatively, the policies can be set by an administrator.

Method and apparatus for managing and displaying contact authentication in a peer-to-peer collaboration system

Different levels of security are provided in a security system so that users can decide the security level of their own communications. Users can choose a low level of security and maintain the security overhead as low as possible. Alternatively, they can choose higher levels of security with attendant increases in security overhead. The different levels of security are created by the use of one or more of two keys: an encryption key is used to encrypt plaintext data in a delta and a message authentication key is used to authenticate and insure integrity of the data. Two keys are used to avoid re-encrypting the encrypted data for each member of the telespace. In one embodiment, the security level is determined when a telespace is created and remains fixed through out the life of the telespace. For a telespace, the security level may range from no security at all to security between the members of the telespace and outsiders to security between pairs of members of the telespace. In another embodiment, subgroups called 'tribes' can be formed within a telespace and each tribe adopts the security level of the telespace in which it resides.

Method and apparatus for managing secure collaborative transactions

Methods and apparatus for managing secure collaborative transactions

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Nimisha Asthagiri