System and method for providing controlled and secured access to network resources

A method for controlling access to content on a network computer and denying access to unauthorized users, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a token from a publisher server, said token included in an authenticated URL and including a set of one or more authentication components, the set of authentication components including at least a valid time window value that allows the publisher server to control a lifespan of the token, wherein the step of obtaining the token comprises the steps of:
• clicking onto a link for a payment-required page;
• providing credit card information into a form;
• processing a transaction using the credit card information;
• presenting a page containing the authenticated URL if the transaction is successful;
• requesting content from the network computer by presenting said token;
• checking the validity of said token at the network computer, wherein the validity of said token is checked by first determining whether the set of authentication components are present in the token;
• and delivering, from the network computer, the file only if the token is valid.

A method for controlling access to content on a network computer and denying access to unauthorized users, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a token from a publisher server, said token included in an authenticated URL and including components;
• requesting a file from the network computer by presenting said token;
• checking the validity of said token at the network computer, by the following steps;
• and
• extracting the token from the authenticated URL;
• extracting component flags from the token;
• extracting required mask fields from the token;
• comparing the required mask fields to the component flags in the token;
• creating a reference token independently using the same components as used in the URL token;
• and
• comparing the URL token with the reference token;
• delivering the file from the network computer only if the URL token matches the reference token;
• and
• denying access to the file if the URL token does not match the reference token.

A method for controlling access to content on a network computer and denying access to unauthorized users, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a token from a publisher server, said token included in an authenticated URL and including a set of one or more authentication components, the set of authentication components including at least a valid time window value that allows the publisher server to control a lifespan of the token;
• requesting content from the network computer by presenting said token;
• checking the validity of said token at the network computer, wherein the validity of said token is checked by first determining whether the set of authentication components are present in the token;
• and delivering, from the network computer, the file only if the token is valid;
• wherein the network computer is maintained by a third party who is not the publisher.