AUTHORIZATION OF SERVER OPERATIONS

An authorization device (5) is provided for authorizing operations of a remote server (2) requested from user computers (3) via a data communications network (4). The device (5) has a computer interface (6) for connecting the device (5) to a local user computer (3) for communication with the remote server (2), and a user interface (7) for presenting information to a user. Control logic (11) of the device (5) is adapted to use security data to establish between the device (5) and server (2), via the local user computer (3), a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications between the device and server. The control logic (11) collects from the server (2) via this connection information indicative of any operations requested by user computers via other connections to the server (2) and requiring authorization by a user of the device (5). This information is presented to a user via the user interface (7) to prompt for authorization by the user. Server operations are controlled in accordance with rule data (18) defining operations requiring authorization by one or more authorizing users. Control logic (15) of the server control apparatus responds to an operation request from a user computer (3) by determining from the rule data (18) whether authorization by at least one authorizing user is required for that operation. If so, the operation is deferred. When a mutually-authenticated connection is established with an authorizing device (5), the control apparatus can supply information indicative of any deferred operations requested from user computers (3) and requiring authorization by the device user. A deferred operation is only performed on receipt of authorization from every authorizing user from whom authorization is required for that operation, providing secure multi-party authorization in a mobile computing environment. Un dispositif dautorisation (5) est présenté en vue dautoriser des opérations dun serveur distant (2) demandées aux ordinateurs utilisateurs (3) par un réseau de communication de données (4). Le dispositif (5) comprend une interface dordinateur (6) servant à connecter le dispositif (5) à un ordinateur utilisateur local (3) en vue dune communication avec le serveur distant (2) et une interface utilisateur (7) servant à présenter linformation à un utilisateur. La logique de commande (11) du dispositif (5) est adaptée pour utiliser les données de sécurité établies entre le dispositif (5) et le serveur (2), par lordina