Secure network privacy system

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system of receiving communications from a network device in a network to a source of network data and establishing a secure and/or authenticated network connection between the network device and the source that appears to the network device as a direct connection to the source of network data. Broadly conceptualized, the method and system may also include a parsing module that modifies the network data passing back and forth between the network device and the source of network data.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for establishing a network connection between a network device and a network, the method comprising: receiving a request to access network data from the network device; replacing the identifier associated with the network device in the request with another identifier associated with a proxy for the network device; sending the request for a connection from the network device to a source of the network data; establishing a connection between the proxy for the network device and the source of the network data; and establishing a connection between the network device and the proxy for the network device. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the network device and the proxy is a secure connection. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving network data from the source at the network device via the proxy server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the network device and the proxy is an authenticated connection. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising receiving network data from the source at the network device via the proxy server. 
     
     
         6 . A method for modifying network data being accessed by a network device on a network, the method comprising: receiving a request to access network data from the network device; sending the request for a connection from the network device to a source of the network data; establishing a connection between a proxy for the network device and the source of the network data; receiving network data from the source at the proxy; modifying the network data at a parsing module in signal communication with the proxy; establishing a connection between the network device and the proxy; and sending the modified network data to the network device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: receiving parameters at the parsing module that are used to determine the modifications to be made to the network data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: monitoring the network data at a log module in signal communication with the proxy; and storing information related to the network data. 
     
     
         9 . A method for establishing a plurality of network connections between at least one network device and a plurality of networks, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of requests to access network data from the at least one network device; replacing each of the identifiers associated with each network device in the requests with another identifier from a plurality of identifiers associated with at least one proxy for the at least one network device; sending the plurality of requests for a connection from the at least one network device to a source of the network data; establishing a connection between the at least one proxy and the source of the network data; and establishing a connection between the network devices and the at least one proxy. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: determining the identifier associated with a source for network data at a key module; associating that identifier with a proxy for a network device; sending a response to a request for a connection from a network device with an identifier associated with the proxy; and establishing a connection between the proxy and the network device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the connection between the proxy and the network device is a secure connection. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: generating a unique identifier for each request by a network device to access data; associating that identifier with a proxy for the network device; sending the request for a connection from a network device to the source of the network data; and establishing a connection between the proxy and the source of the network data using another identifier unique to that connection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the connection between the proxy and the network device is an authenticated connection. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: generating a unique identifier for each request by a network device to access data; associating that identifier with a proxy for the network device; sending the request for a connection from a network device to the source of the network data; and establishing a connection between the proxy and the source of the network data using another identifier unique to that connection. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable medium having software for establishing a network connection between a network device and a network, the computer-readable medium comprising: logic configured for receiving a request to access network data from the network device; logic configured for replacing the identifier associated with the network device in the request with another identifier associated with a proxy for the network device; logic configured for sending the request for a connection from the network device to a source of the network data; logic configured for establishing a connection between the proxy for the network device and the source of the network data; and logic configured for establishing a connection between the network device and the proxy for the network device. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured for making secure the connection between the network device and the proxy. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured for authenticating the connection between the network device and the proxy. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured for making secure the connection between the proxy and the source. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured for authenticating the connection between the proxy and the source. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured for receiving network data from the source at the network device via the proxy. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium having software for modifying network data being accessed by a network device on a network, the computer-readable medium comprising: logic configured for receiving a request to access network data from the network device; logic configured for sending the request for a connection from the network device to a source of the network data; logic configured for establishing a connection between a proxy for the network device and the source of the network data; logic configured for receiving network data from the source at the proxy; logic configured for modifying the network data at a parsing module in signal communication with the proxy; logic configured for establishing a connection between the network device and the proxy; and logic configured for sending the modified network data to the network device. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising logic configured for receiving parameters at the parsing module that are used to determine the modifications to be made to the network data. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , further comprising: logic configured for monitoring the network data at a log module in signal communication with the proxy; and logic configured for storing information related to the network data. 
     
     
         24 . A computer-readable medium for establishing a plurality of network connections between at least one network device and a plurality of networks, the computer-readable medium comprising: logic configured for receiving a plurality of requests to access network data from the at least one network device; logic configured for replacing each of the identifiers associated with each network device in the requests with another identifier from a plurality of identifiers associated with at least one proxy for the network devices; logic configured for sending the plurality of requests for a connection from the at least one network device to a source of the network data; logic configured for establishing a connection between the at least one proxy and the source; and logic configured for establishing a connection between the at least one network device and the at least one proxy. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising: logic configured for determining the identifier associated with a source for network data at a key module; logic configured for associating that identifier with a proxy for a network device; logic configured for sending a response to a request for a connection from a network device with an identifier associated with the proxy; and logic configured for establishing a connection between the proxy and the network device. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 25 , further comprising logic configured for making secure the connection between the network device and the proxy. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising logic configured for authenticating the connection between the network device and the proxy. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 25 , further comprising: logic configured for generating a unique identifier for each request by a network device to access data; logic configured for associating that identifier with a proxy for the network device; logic configured for sending the request for a connection from a network device to the source of the network data; and logic configured for establishing a connection between the proxy and the source of the network data using another identifier unique to that connection. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , further comprising logic configured for making secure the connection between the proxy and the source. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , further comprising logic configured for authenticating the connection between the proxy and the source.