Security and support for flexible conferencing topologies spanning proxies, firewalls and gateways

A method for setting up a dynamic-secure-conference over a computer network wherein said method comprises:

• communicating with a potential new node from an existing-trusted-conference node;
• authenticating a potential new-entrant-to-the-conference by examining a certificate corresponding to the new node;
• permitting the potential new-entrant-to-the-conference to become an additional conference node if the certificate is valid;
• and
• recalculating a dynamic-secure-conference topology to minimize network traffic.

A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for setting up a dynamic-secure-conference over a computer network wherein said method comprises:

• communicating with a potential new node from an existing-trusted-conference node;
• authenticating a potential new-entrant-to-the-conference by examining a certificate corresponding to the new node;
• permitting the potential new-entrant-to-the-conference to become an additional conference node if the certificate is valid;
• and
• recalculating a dynamic-secure-conference topology to minimize network traffic.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for setting up a dynamic-secure-conference over a computer network wherein said method comprises:
• communicating with a potential new node from an existing-trusted-conference node;
• authenticating a potential new-entrant-to-the-conference by examining a certificate corresponding to the new node;
• permitting the potential new-entrant-to-the-conference to become an additional conference node if the certificate is valid;
• and
• recalculating a dynamic-secure-conference topology to minimize network traffic.