Data classification

• US 10,037,358 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varonis Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Varonis Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Faitelson, Yakov, Korkus, Ohad, Kretzer-Katzir, Ophir, Bass, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gortayo, Dangelino N
• Application Number:
  US13/384,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 707781, 707783, 707722, 707737, 707769, 707609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

A method for managing data in an enterprise by identifying data of interest from among a multiplicity of data elements in an enterprise, the method including characterizing data of interest at least by at least one non-content based data identifier thereof and at least one access metric thereof, the at least one access metric being selected from data access permissions and actual data access history and selecting data of interest by considering only data elements from among the multiplicity of data elements which have the at least one non-content based data identifier thereof and the at least one access metric thereof.

Claims

1. A method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof, said at least one access metric including actual access, the method comprising:

specifying, by an operator, specific metadata and at least one specific access metric to identify data elements of interest from among a multiplicity of said data elements in said enterprise file system; and

classifying said data elements of interest by considering data elements in said enterprise file system which have said specific metadata and said at least one specific access metric, which includes actual access including at least one of reading, writing, opening, creating and removing said data elements, said classifying including;

searching for data elements which have said specific metadata;

separately from said searching for data elements which have said specific metadata, identifying data elements from among said multiplicity of data elements in accordance with said at least one specific access metric; and

combining results of said searching and said identifying.

2. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising:

specifying, by said operator, at least one specific content based data identifier; and

wherein

said classifying said data elements of interest includes considering only data elements which have said at least one specific content based data identifier.

3. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and wherein said considering comprises:

defining a field of search in accordance with said at least one specific access metric multiple times and searching within said field of search multiple times, wherein said at least one specific access metric is different at least some of said multiple times.

4. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one specific access metric is a dynamic metric which changes over time during operation of the enterprise.

5. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and wherein said searching comprises searching only within those portions of said field of search that have been modified or added as the result of redefining said field of search in accordance with changes in said at least one specific access metric.

6. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising noting the current status of data elements that have been modified, added or removed in accordance with changes in said at least one specific access metric.

7. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and wherein said searching is prioritized at least in accordance with at least one specific access metric related prioritization characteristic.

8. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 7 and wherein results of said searching are ordered at least in accordance with at least one specific access metric related prioritization characteristic.

9. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and wherein said searching and said identifying are performed by separate entities.

10. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising maintaining an access metrics database.

11. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising maintaining a metadata database.

12. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising, responsive to classifying said data elements of interest, modification of access permissions to at least one of said data elements of interest.

13. The method for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 1 and also comprising automatically redefining said field of search in accordance with said at least one specific access metric multiple times and searching within said field of search multiple times, wherein said at least one specific access metric is different at least some of said multiple times.

14. A system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof, said at least one access metric including actual access, the system comprising:

a computer including;

a processor;

a memory; and

a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by said computer, cause the computer to enable efficient management of data in said enterprise;

query generation functionality operable for facilitating specifying, by an operator, specific metadata and at least one specific access metric to identify data elements of interest from among a multiplicity of said data elements in said enterprise file system; and

query resolution functionality operable for classifying said data elements of interest by considering data elements in said enterprise file system which have said specific metadata and said at least one specific access metric, which includes actual access including at least one of reading, writing, opening, creating and removing said data elements, said classifying including;

searching for data elements which have said specific metadata;

separately from said searching for data elements which have said specific metadata, identifying data elements from among said multiplicity of data elements in accordance with said at least one specific access metric; and

combining results of said searching and said identifying.

15. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein:

said query generation functionality is also operable for facilitating specifying, by said operator, at least one specific content based data identifier; and

said query resolution functionality is also operable for classifying data elements of interest by considering data elements which have said at least one content based data identifier.

16. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said considering comprises:

defining a field of search in accordance with said at least one access metric multiple times and searching within said field of search multiple times, wherein said at least one specific access metric is different at least some of said multiple times.

17. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said at least one specific access metric is a dynamic metric which changes over time during operation of the enterprise.

18. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said searching comprises searching only within those portions of said field of search that have been modified or added as the result of redefining said field of search in accordance with changes in said at least one specific access metric.

19. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said searching comprises noting the current status of data elements that have been modified, added or removed in accordance with changes in said at least one specific access metric.

20. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said searching is prioritized at least in accordance with at least one specific access metric related prioritization characteristic.

21. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 20 and wherein results of said searching are ordered at least in accordance with at least one specific access metric related prioritization characteristic.

22. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and wherein said searching and said identifying are performed by separate entities.

23. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and also comprising access metrics collection functionality and an access metrics database.

24. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and also comprising metadata collection functionality and a metadata database.

25. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system, said data elements being characterized at least by metadata thereof and by at least one access metric thereof according to claim 14 and also comprising access permissions modification functionality which is operative, responsive to classifying data elements of interest, to modify access permissions to at least one of said data elements of interest.

26. The system for managing data elements in an enterprise file system according to claim 14 and wherein said query generation functionality is also operable for automatically redefining said field of search in accordance with said at least one specific access metric multiple times and searching within said field of search multiple times, wherein said at least one specific access metric is different at least some of said multiple times.