Processing information based on policy information of a target user

• US 10,009,377 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kamijoh, Kohichi, Osogami, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/747,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a policy acquisition unit configured to acquire a policy on disclosure of information on a target user; a collection unit configured to collect attributes that may be related to the target user from public information disclosed on a network to create an attribute set related to the target user; and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the attribute set satisfies the policy.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of executing information processing, the method comprising:

acquiring one or more policies on disclosure of information on a target user, wherein at least one of the one or more policies includes a policy of prohibiting disclosure of a first attribute in combination with a second attribute;

collecting attributes that may be related to the target user from public information disclosed on two or more networks to create two or more attribute sets related to the target user, wherein the two or more attribute sets include at least a first attribute set and a second attribute set,

wherein the first attribute set derives attributes from a first network from the two or more networks, and

wherein the second attribute set derives attributes from a second network from the two or more networks;

analyzing the two or more attribute sets to determine that the first attribute exists in the first attribute set and the second attribute exists in the second attribute set, wherein the first attribute does not exist in the second attribute set;

determining at least one additional attribute disclosed on the two or more networks, wherein the at least one additional attribute exists in both the first attribute set and the second attribute set;

calculating a score indicating a degree of difficulty in identifying the target user in association with an attribute included in the public information, wherein the score comprises a number of other users having a same attribute as the attribute included in the public information; and

prohibiting disclosure of the first attribute and the second attribute responsive to determining the at least one additional attribute exists and a determination that the score is above a threshold value, wherein the prohibiting includes transmitting a request to remove the at least one additional attribute to a manager of the two or more networks, and

wherein the threshold value is greater than zero.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

acquiring new public information that the target user will disclose, wherein a new attribute included in the new public information is added to the two or more attribute sets based upon a determination that the new attribute satisfies the one or more policies.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether an attribute set satisfies the one or more policies; and

based upon a determination the attribute set does not satisfy the one or more policies, transmitting a request to correct the attribute to a manager of the new public information.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

prohibiting deriving an attribute whose disclosure is prohibited on the basis of the one or more policies, wherein the prohibiting includes transmitting of a request to correct the attribute to a manager of the new public information.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating the attribute set by collecting attributes in public information on a network, the public information being associated with the public information related to the target user with a degree of accuracy equal to or higher than a predetermined criterion.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

wherein when a reference number or more of attributes common to attributes included in the one or more attribute sets related to the target user are included, adding another attribute in public information on the network to the two or more attribute sets.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

collecting other public information on the basis of the score of an attribute included in the two or more attribute sets related to the target user.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

acquiring a policy of prohibiting disclosure of an attribute or a combination of two or more attributes whose disclosure is prohibited; and

determining whether or not the attribute or the combination of two or more attributes whose disclosure is prohibited can be derived from the public information.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring a policy of allowing disclosure of a misrepresented attribute; and

determining that the misrepresented attribute of the target user can be derived from the public information.