Method of authenticating membership for providing access to a secure environment by authenticating membership to an associated secure environment

Abstract

The present invention provides a way to access a secure environment by virtue of a right to access another secure environment. The present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a method of authenticating membership for providing access to a secure environment. The environment for which access is requested can be a network environment, such as, for example, an Internet, containing a first secure domain and a second secure domain. Network connections can be made using TCP/IP protocols. Claimants inside and outside of the first secure environment are afforded access to the second secure environment. The first secure environment uses its own authentication information, such as a database of user names and passwords, for authenticating claimants. In order for an outside claimant to gain access to the second secure environment, the outside claimant must have previously been an inside claimant. When the inside claimant accesses the second secure environment, the server of the second secure environment stores location information on the claimant's computer. The method allows for authentication of claimants for providing access to several secure environments based on access to a first secure environment.