Secure network file access control system

A method of securing access by a client computer system to file data stored on a storage device accessible by said client computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) intercepting, by a first program as executed on a client computer system, a data transfer request issued by a second program, as executed on said client computer system, directed to a data file stored by a client accessible file data store;
• b) first processing, by said first program, said data transfer request to associate authentication data with said data transfer request;
• c) evaluating, by a security appliance coupled to said client computer system through a communications network, said data transfer request, said authentication data, and access control data corresponding to said data file to qualify said data transfer request;
• and
• d) second processing to selectively enable said data transfer request to proceed relative to said data file dependent on the qualification of said data transfer request.

A method of securing file access operations by a client computer system made with respect to a client accessible file data store, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) intercepting, by a first program executing on a client computer system, file operation requests issued by a second program, as executing on said client computer system, wherein said file operation requests are issued with respect to files stored in a filesystem accessible by said client computer system;
• b) determining, by said first program relative to a predetermined file operation request, authentication data for said second program, wherein said authentication data includes user and process identification data and a representation of said predetermined file operation request;
• and
• c) enabling, by a security appliance responsive to said authentication data, said predetermined file operation request with respect to a file identified by said predetermined file operation request, wherein said enabling step is dependent on qualification, by said security appliance, of said authentication data against policy data defining operation permissions relative to said file.