Method for remotely locking/unlocking a machine

A target machine comprising a security service and a session management module, said target machine configured to:

• receive by said security service a query corresponding to a request to change the status, locked or unlocked, of the target machine, said query comprising a piece of identification information from a user of a source machine;
• from said security service, verify if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in the status by said user;
• if the change is allowed, send, from said security service, a status change message to the session management module and proceed to said status change by said session management module,
• wherein, to verify if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in the status by said user, said security service is configured to access an access right repository that is separate from said target machine, and
• wherein the access right repository includes a delegation parameter that stipulates that a user of the target machine has the right to authorize another user to access the target machine.

A source machine configured to cooperate with a target machine, said target machine comprising a security service and a session management module, said source machine configured to:

• receive a request to change the status, locked or unlocked, of the target machine by a user of the source machine;
• and
• send a query corresponding to said request to the security service of said target machine so that, based on said query, said security service (a) verifies if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in the status by said user and if the change is allowed, (b) sends a status change message to the session management module and proceed to said status change by said session management module,
• said query comprising a piece of identification information from a user of said source machine,
• wherein, to verify if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in the status by said user, said security service is configured to access an access right repository that is separate from said target machine, and
• wherein the access right repository includes a delegation parameter that stipulates that a user of the target machine has the right to authorize another user to access the target machine.

A computer system configured to perform a change of status, locked or unlocked, of a target machine, said computer system comprising a target machine and a source machine configured to cooperate with said target machine, the target machine comprising a security service and a session management module, said target machine configured to:

• receive by said security service a query corresponding to a request to change the status, locked or unlocked, of the target machine, said query comprising a piece of identification information from a user of the source machine;
• from said security service, verify if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in a status thereof by said user;
• if the change is allowed, send, from said security service, a status change message to the session management module and proceed to said status change by said session management module,
• wherein, to verify if access rights associated with said source machine user allow a change in the status by said user, said security service is configured to access an access right repository that is separate from said target machine, and
• wherein the access right repository includes a delegation parameter that stipulates that a user of the target machine has the right to authorize another user to access the target machine.