Systems and methods for sterilizing email attachments and other communications delivered by email

• US 10,009,379 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter W.J. Jones
• Original Assignee: Peter W.J. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Peter W. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Sher A
• Application Number:
  US14/977,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A system for sterilizing data sent through electronic messages includes first computing circuitry configured to receive a first electronic communication including first data having executable code and generate optical data representative of the first data. The system further includes second computing circuitry configured to receive the optical data from the first computing circuitry, convert the optical data into second data representative of the optical data, and transmit a second electronic communication that includes the second data and omits the first data.

Claims

1. A system for sterilizing data sent through electronic messages, the system comprising:

first computing circuitry configured to;

receive a first electronic communication including first data having executable code;

generate optical data representative of the first data by capturing an image representative of the first data that is displayed on a monitor associated with the first computing circuitry;

determine whether a virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware; and

in response to determining that the virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware, erase and reload a portion of the virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry; and

second computing circuitry configured to;

receive the optical data from the first computing circuitry;

convert the optical data into second data representative of the optical data; and

transmit a second electronic communication that includes the second data and omits the first data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the optical data comprises generating the optical data in a format readable by a monitor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the optical data from the first computing circuitry comprises receiving the optical data from an analog communications link.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein receiving the optical data through the analog communications link comprises receiving the optical data through a Video Graphics Array (VGA) cable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein converting the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data comprises converting the optical data into the second data using at least one of optical character recognition and an image processing program.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing circuitry is further configured to transmit to the second computing circuitry an indication that the first electronic message was received and is ready for conversion, and wherein converting the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data comprises converting the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data after receiving the indication that the first electronic message was received and is ready for conversion.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical data further comprises data representative of at least one of a sender'"'"'s electronic message address, a file type, a file name, and a file size, and wherein the second computing circuitry is further configured to determine how to convert the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data and to which electronic message address to transmit the second electronic communication based on the data representative of at least one of the sender'"'"'s electronic message address, the file type, the file name, and the file size.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware comprises determining whether the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware when at least one of:

a fixed time period has passed,

a failed checksum has been computed, and

an electronic communication has been received.

9. A method for sterilizing data sent through electronic messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at first computing circuitry, a first electronic communication including first data having executable code;

generating, by the first computing circuitry, optical data representative of the first data by capturing an image representative of the first data that is displayed on a monitor associated with the first computing circuitry;

determining, by the first computing circuitry, whether a virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware; and

in response to determining that the virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware, erasing and reloading a portion of the virtual computer associated with the first computing circuitry;

receiving, at second computing circuitry, the optical data from the first computing circuitry;

converting, by the second computing circuitry, the optical data into second data representative of the optical data; and

transmitting, by the second computing circuitry, a second electronic communication that includes the second data and omits the first data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the optical data comprises generating the optical data in a format readable by a monitor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the optical data from the first computing circuitry comprises receiving the optical data from an analog communications link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the optical data through the analog communications link comprises receiving the optical data through a Video Graphics Array (VGA) cable.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein converting, by the second computing circuitry, the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data comprises converting the optical data into the second data using at least one of optical character recognition and an image processing program.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting to the second computing circuitry, by the first computing circuitry, an indication that the first electronic message was received and is ready for conversion, and wherein converting, by the second computing circuitry, the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data comprises converting the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data after receiving the indication that the first electronic message was received and is ready for conversion.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the optical data further comprises data representative of at least one of a sender'"'"'s electronic message address, a file type, a file name, and a file size, and further comprising determining, by the second computing circuitry, how to convert the optical data into the second data representative of the optical data and to which electronic message address to transmit the second electronic communication based on the data representative of at least one of the sender'"'"'s electronic message address, the file type, the file name, and the file size.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining, by the first computing circuitry, whether the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware comprises determining whether the first computing circuitry has been infected with malware when at least one of:

a fixed time period has passed,

a failed checksum has been computed, and

an electronic communication has been received.