A secure gateway is disclosed which facilitates communication between a first network and a second network through an intermediate network. The secure gateway, when operated in conjunction with at least one other secure gateway, supports secure peer to peer connectivity with integral security features such as mutual authentication, authorization specific access, and end to end auditing. An authorized service can be served securely through this gateway, across the open network, to a known requester, without fear of compromising the security or privacy of the server's or requesters networks.