Local authentication of a client at a network device

A method of controlling access of a client to a network resource using a network firewall routing device that is logically interposed between the client and the network resource, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating and storing client authorization information at the network firewall routing device, wherein the client authorization information comprises information indicating whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource and information indicating what access privileges the client has with respect to the network resource;
• receiving a request from the client to communicate with the network resource;
• determining, at the network firewall device, whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• and
• reconfiguring the network firewall routing device to permit the client to communicate with the network resource only when the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• the network firewall routing device comprising a firewall that protects the network resource by selectively blocking messages initiated by client and directed to the network resource, the firewall comprising an external interface and an internal interface, the firewall comprising an Output Access Control List at the internal interface and an Input Access Control List at the external interface, wherein reconfiguring the network firewall routing device comprises:
• substituting the IP address in a user profile information associated with a user of the client to create a new user profile information, wherein the user profile associated with the user of the client is received from an authentication server that is coupled to the network firewall routing device;
• and
• adding the new user profile information as temporary entries to the Input Access Control List at the external interface and to the Output Access Control List at the internal interface.

A method of controlling access of a client to a network resource using a network firewall routing device that is logically interposed between the client and the network resource, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating and storing client authorization information at the network firewall routing device, wherein the client authorization information comprises information indicating whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource and information indicating what access privileges the client has with respect to the network resource;
• receiving a request from the client to communicate with the network resource;
• determining, at the network firewall routing device, whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• and
• reconfiguring the network firewall routing device to permit the client to communicate with the network resource only when the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• the network firewall routing device comprising a firewall that protects the network resource by selectively blocking messages initiated by client and directed to the network resource, the firewall comprising an external interface and an internal interface, the firewall comprising an Output Access Control List at the external interface and an Input Access Control List at the internal interface, wherein reconfiguring the network firewall routing device comprises the step of:
• substituting the IP address in a user profile information associated with a use of the client to create a new user profile information, wherein the user profile associated with the user of the client is received from an authentication server that is coupled to the network firewall routing device;
• and
• adding the new user profile information as temporary entries to the Input Access Control List at the internal interface and to the Output Access Control List at the external interface.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for controlling access of a client to a network resource using a network firewall routing device, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• creating and storing client authorization information at the network firewall routing device that is logically interposed between the client and the network resource, wherein the client authorization information comprises information indicating whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource and information indicating what access privileges the client has with respect to the network resource;
• receiving a request from the client to communicate with the network resource;
• determining, at the network firewall routing device, whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• and
• reconfiguring the network firewall routing device to permit the client to communicate with the network resource only when the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information.

A computer system for controlling access of a client to a network resource using a network firewall routing device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
• creating and storing client authorization information at the network firewall routing device that is logically interposed between the client and the network resource, wherein the client authorization information comprises information indicating whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource and information indicating what access privileges the client has with respect to the network resource;
• receiving a request from the client to communicate with the network resource;
• determining, at the network firewall routing device, whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• and
• reconfiguring the network firewall routing device to permit the client to communicate with the network resource only when the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information.

A data packet firewall router that is logically interposed between a client and a network resource and that controls access of the client to the network resource, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
• creating and storing client authorization information at the router, wherein the client authentication information comprises information indicating whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource and information indicating what access privileges the client has with respect to the network resource;
• receiving a request from the client to communicate with the network resource;
• determining, at the router, whether the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information;
• and
• reconfiguring the router to permit the client to Communicate with the network resource only when the client is authorized to communicate with the network resource based on the authorization information.