Method and system for stepping up to certificate-based authentication without breaking an existing ssl session

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A method is presented for performing authentication operations. When a client requests a resource from a server, a non-certificate~based authentication operation is performed through an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) session between the server and the client, When the client requests another resource the , server determines to step up to a more restrictive level of authentication and a certificate-based authentication operation is performed through the SSL session without exiting or renegotiating the SSL session prior to completion of the certificate-based authentication operation. During the certificatebased authentication procedure, an executable module is downloaded to the client from …