Public key based authentication method for transaction delegation in service-based computing environments

A method of controlling access to data on a remote computer, the method comprising:

• accepting a request for a data item from a client computer, wherein the request contains a nonce value which has been digitally signed with a digital signature by a central computer;
• verifying the nonce value, wherein the step of verifying the nonce value comprises the step of verifying the digital signature;
• and
• responding to the request by returning the data item directly to the client computer without using an intermediary central computer if the nonce value is valid and has been previously used fewer than a limited number of times.

A method on a client computer of obtaining service from a secure data server, the method comprising:

• accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises at least a nonce value, a specification of a remote computer, and a representation of information to be displayed on a client computer accepting the partial response, and wherein the nonce value is signed with a digital signature from the first computer;
• transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value;
• and
• receiving a service response from directly the remote computer without the use of an intermediary central computer if the nonce value was valid.

A system for controlling access to data on a computer, the system comprising:

• a request receiver for accepting a request for a data item from a client computer, wherein the request contains a nonce value, wherein the nonce value is digitally signed with a digital signature by a central computer;
• a nonce verifier for verifying the nonce value, wherein the nonce verifier performs at least a verification of the digital signature;
• and
• a response generator for responding to the request by returning the data item directly to the client computer without using an intermediary central computer if the nonce value is valid and has been previously used fewer than a limited number of times.

A system for obtaining service from a secure data server, the system comprising:

• a partial response receiver for accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises at least a nonce value, a specification of a remote computer, and a representation of information to be displayed on a client computer accepting the partial response, and wherein the nonce value is digitally signed with a digital signature by the first computer;
• a request transmitter for transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value;
• and
• a service response receiver for receiving a service response directly from the remote computer without the use of an intermediary central computer if the nonce value was valid.

A computer program product for controlling communications access to remote processors, the computer program product comprising:

• a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing computer instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• accepting a request for data from a client computer;
• and
• transmitting a partial response, from a central computer, to the client computer, wherein the partial response comprises at least a nonce value and a representation of information to be displayed on the client computer, wherein the nonce value is digitally signed with a digital signature by the central computer and the nonce value is used to authorize a limited number of direct accesses to data on a remote computer, without using the central computer.

A computer program product for controlling communications access to computer, the computer program product comprising:

• a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing computer instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• accepting a request for a data item from a client computer, wherein the request contains a nonce value, wherein the nonce value is digitally signed with a digital signature by a central computer;
• verifying the nonce value, wherein the instructions for verifying comprise instructions for verifying the digital signature;
• and
• responding to the request by returning the data item directly to the client computer without using an intermediary central computer if the nonce value was verified by the instructions for verifying and the nonce value is valid and has been previously used fewer than a limited number of times.

A computer program product for obtaining service from a secure data server, the computer program product comprising:

• a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing computer instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises at least a nonce value, a specification of a remote computer, and a representation of information to be displayed on a client computer accepting the partial response, wherein the nonce value is digitally signed with a digital signature by the first computer;
• transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value;
• and
• receiving a service response from the remote computer without the use of an intermediary central computer if the nonce value was valid.