Importance

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Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing an enhanced level of security for sensitive or proprietary information associated with information transactions in a public network, such as the Internet. In carrying out that method, an on-line information transaction is bifurcated between a generalized information access portion of such a transaction and an exchange of sensitive user information. With such a bifurcation, the generalized information access portion of the transaction, which generally would constitute the more substantial (in terms of network resources) portion of the transaction, would be handled via a non-secure network, usually a public network such as the Internet. The portion of the transaction involving sensitive user information, on the other hand, would be handled by a separate secure connection, such as a private network, or intranetwork. An important characteristic of this bifurcation arrangement is the provision of a means for automated reconfiguration of a user terminal as between accessing the generalized information via the non-secure network and access to the secure communications network for the exchange of sensitive user information. Such an automated reconfiguration will be carried out without the necessity for any action on the part of the user, and indeed will be largely invisible to the user.

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First Claim