Method and device for securely accessing a web service

1. A method for securely accessing a web service by a web application running in a browser on a user device through a network, wherein

said web service is hosted by a local device accessed by the user device, using processing circuitry, via a local area network;

said local device is delivered, by a trusted operator, a fully qualified name that uniquely identifies said local device and a certificate associated to said fully qualified name, the fully qualified name being associated with an IP address of the local device;

the method comprising:

sending by the user device to the network a request for accessing said web service by addressing a generic name that identifies any device hosting said web service;

receiving from the network by the user device a response to said request, said response comprising said fully qualified name identifying said local device hosting said web service;

when said fully qualified name is comprised in a list, connecting, by the user device, the web application to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name, wherein the list is dynamically obtained from said trusted operator by said web application running in the browser on the user device prior to the sending of the request;

receiving, by the user device, said certificate from said local device;

and when said certificate associated to said fully qualified name is verified by the browser, securely accessing said web service.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said list comprises fully qualified names of devices being trusted for hosting said web service.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said list is hard coded in said web application running in the browser.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein connecting to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name further comprises

sending by the user device to an external network a second request for accessing said web service by addressing a fully qualified name; and

receiving by the user device from the network a response to said second request, said response comprising a local IP address of the local device.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising publishing, by the local device, the local IP address of the local device associated with the fully qualified name on said trusted operator.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein a mapping between the local IP address of the local device and the fully qualified name is maintained by a DNS service run by said trusted operator.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said request for accessing said web service by addressing a generic name is a HTTP request.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a request for securely accessing the web service by addressing said fully qualified name is a HTTPS request.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the local device is a gateway.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list further comprises a pattern matching scheme.

11. A device for securely accessing a web service by a web application running in a browser on the device, the device comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to:

send a request, using processing circuitry, for accessing a web service by addressing a generic name that identifies any device hosting said web service, the web service being hosted by a local device on a local area network, said local device being delivered, by a trusted operator, a fully qualified name that uniquely identifies said local device and a certificate associated to said fully qualified name, the fully qualified name being associated with an IP address of the local device;

receive a response to said request, said response comprising said fully qualified name identifying said local device hosting said web service;

when said fully qualified name is comprised in a list, connect the web application to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name, wherein the list is dynamically obtained from said trusted operator by said web application running in the browser on the device prior to the sending of the request;

receive said certificate from said local device; and

when said certificate associated to said fully qualified name is verified by the browser, securely access said web service.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein said list comprises fully qualified names of devices being trusted for hosting said web service.

13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein said list is hard coded in said web application running in the browser.

14. The device according to claim 11 , wherein to connect to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name, the at least one processor is configured to:

send a second request for accessing said web service by addressing a fully qualified name; and

receiving a response to said second request, said response comprising a local IP address of the local device.

15. The device according to claim 14 , further comprising publishing, by the local device, the local IP address of the local device associated the fully qualified name on a trusted operator.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein a mapping between the local IP address of the local device and the fully qualified name is maintained by a DNS service run by said trusted operator.

17. The device according to claim 11 , wherein said request for accessing said web service by addressing a generic name is a HTTP request.

18. The device according to claim 11 , wherein a request for securely accessing the web service by addressing said fully qualified name is a HTTPS request.

19. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the local device is a gateway.

20. A server device comprising:

a memory;

processing circuitry configured to:

receive from a web application via a network a request for accessing a web service by addressing a generic name that identifies any local device hosting said web service;

send to the web application via the network a response to said request comprising a fully qualified name uniquely identifying said local device hosting said web service, the fully qualified name being associated with an IP address of the local device the fully qualified name being delivered by a trusted operator;

connect to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name in case said received fully qualified name is comprised in a list, wherein the list is dynamically obtained from said trusted operator prior to the receiving of the request;

receive a certificate from said local device; and

securely access said web service in case said certificate associated to said fully qualified name is verified by a browser.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions stored therein which upon execution instruct at least one processor to:

send, using processing circuitry, via a network a request for accessing a web service by addressing a generic name that identifies any local device hosting said web service;

receive from the network a response to said request comprising a fully qualified name uniquely identifying said local device hosting said web service, the fully qualified name being associated with an IP address of the local device, the fully qualified name and the certificate associated to the fully qualified name being provided by a trusted operator;

connect to said local device by addressing said fully qualified name, when said received fully qualified name is comprised in a list, wherein the list is dynamically obtained from said trusted operator prior to the sending of the request;

receive a certificate from said local device; and

securely access said web service in case said certificate associated to said fully qualified name is verified by a browser.