Secure remote access computing system

A method comprising:

• establishing a communication link between a remote computing device and a secure network interface to a private network by way of a public communication network;
• communicating, from said remote computing device to said secure network interface, a request by a user of said remote computing device to execute a network administration task on at least one node of said private network;
• executing, in response to said request, said task by said secure network interface on behalf of said at least one node of said private network without said user of said remote computing device having direct log-on access to any of said at least one node of said private network;
• generating, in response to said request to execute said task, a custom program on said secure network interface that contains data and user interface features unique to said task;
• verifying that said user of said remote computing device is authorized to execute said task;
• downloading said custom program from said secure network interface to said remote computing device;
• executing said custom program on said remote computing device for said user to define said at least one parameter necessary to execute said task;
• and
• transmitting said at least one parameter necessary to execute said task from said remote computing device to said secure network interface.

A secure remote access network administration system using a public communication network comprising:

• a remote computing device having a network browsing program and access to said public communication network;
• a private network having a plurality of computing devices therein;
• a network interface device supporting service for a publicly accessible Web page, said network interface device also having access to said public communication network and supporting a private communication link to said private network;
• means for establishing a communication link between said remote computing device and said network interface device;
• means for communicating, from said remote computing device to said network interface device, a request by a user of said remote computing device to execute an administrative task on at least one of said plurality of computing devices in said private network;
• means for verifying on said network interface device that said user of said remote computing device is authorized to execute said administrative task;
• means for dynamically generating a custom Web page on said network interface device that is unique to said administrative task and contains only enough data and user interface features as are required for said user of said remote computing device to define at least one parameter necessary to construct an executable one of said administrative task;
• means for transmitting said custom Web page from said network interface device to said remote computing device;
• means for executing said custom Web page on said remote computing device for said user to define said at least one parameter necessary to construct an executable one of said administrative task;
• means for transmitting said at least one parameter from said remote computing device to said network interface device;
• and
• means for executing said administrative task, in response to said request, by said network interface device on behalf of said at least one of said plurality of computing devices in said private network without said user of said remote computing device being logged onto said network interface device as a network interface device user and without having direct access to any one of said plurality of computing devices in said private network.

A method for executing a task on a secure local computing device on behalf of at least one of a plurality of secure computing devices in a private network, in response to a request to execute said task that is communicated over a public communication network to said secure local computing device by an unsecured remote computing device, said method comprising:

• verifying, on said secure local computing device in response to said request, a permission for a user of said unsecured remote computing device to request execution of said task;
• dynamically generating, on said secure local computing device, a custom user interface in a custom program unique to specific variables needed to execute only said task;
• executing said custom user interface in said custom program on said unsecured remote computing device to define parameters needed to execute said task;
• communicating said parameters from said unsecured remote computing device to said secure local computing device for execution on said secure local computing device;
• and
• executing said task on said secure local computing device.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, said computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising:

• receiving at least one first message from a remote computer over a public communications system identifying a user process of the remote computer;
• authorizing the user process in response to the first message;
• transmitting at least one second message to the remote computer over the public communications system to identify devices in a private network and network administration tasks for execution on the identified devices;
• receiving at least one third message from the remote computer over a public communications system indicating selected network administration tasks and selected devices from the identified tasks and devices;
• generating selected information comprising network administration tasks capable of being performed and selected devices information for the user process;
• transmitting at least one fourth message containing at least part of the generated selected information to the user process over the public communications system;
• receiving at least one fifth message from the user process over a public communications system including at least one parameter for performing one of the selected tasks on one of the selected devices;
• and
• initiating the performance of one of the selected tasks on one of the selected devices.

A method for accessing a private network by way of a public network, comprising:

• providing a secure network interface device as a connection between a private network and a public network;
• receiving a request from a user of a first computing device at said secure network interface device for the capability to perform a computing task on said private network by way of said public network;
• dynamically generating and transmitting a program from the secure network interface device to the first computing device, said program providing the user with the capability to perform the requested computing task, said program having data and a user interface feature necessary for said user to define at least one parameter and limiting the requestor's capability to perform computing tasks not authorized by the program;
• receiving a second request comprising said at least one parameter at the secure network interface from the requestor by way of the program to perform the computing task on the private network;
• and
• initiating the performance of the computing task on the private network by way of the secure network interface device.

A system for providing secure access to a private network, comprising:

• a private network of computing devices;
• a secure network interface device coupled between said private network and a public network;
• and
• a network interface computing operation disposed on said secure network for controlling access to the private network of computing devices, said network interface computing operation comprising computer executable instructions for:
• providing a set of authorized computing tasks that can be performed on the private network by way of the secure network interface;
• receiving a request from a user of a first computing device over a public network, said request requesting the performance of a specified one of the authorized computing tasks;
• dynamically generating and transmitting a program to a requestor of the performance of the specified one of the authorized computing tasks wherein said program provides data and user interface features necessary for the user of said first computing device to define at least one parameter that can be specified in performance of said task;
• and performing said task after receiving the specified at least one parameter from the program.

A method for use on a secure network interface device for providing accessing to a private network via a connection to a public network, comprising:

• providing a set of specific authorized tasks capable of being performed on said private network by way of said public network;
• receiving a request from a user of a first computing device over the public network, said request requesting the performance of one of said specific authorized tasks;
• dynamically generating and transmitting a program to the first computing device, said program providing data and a user interface feature necessary for said to user to specify at least one parameter in performing said one of specific authorized tasks;
• receiving said at least one parameter;
• and
• performing said one of said specific authorized tasks on said private network.