US Patent 7093121 Transferring data via a secure network connection

A request for secure data sent from a client computer 2 to a webtsite server computer 4 is redirected to a proxy computer 6. A secure connection is established with the proxy computer 6 using a protocol such as HTTP and Certificate Exchange. The proxy computer 6 then establishes its own secure connection with the website server 4. The data requested is passed in encrypted form from the website server computer 4 to the proxy computer 6. The proxy computer 6 decrypts this data and then scans it for illegal content, such as computer viruses, worms, Trojans, banned computer files, banned words, banned combinations of words or banned images and the like. Providing no illegal content is found, the data is encrypted again for transfer over the secure link between the proxy computer 6 and the client computer 2. The proxy computer 6 may conveniently be the firewall computer within a local area network.