Collection folder for collecting file submissions and scanning for malicious content

• US 10,108,806 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Mindy, Piyush, Pranav
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US14/961,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles

Abstract

A content management system for collecting files from one or more submitters in a collection folder. A collector, who generates the collection folder, can invite one or more submitters to submit one or more files to the collection folder. The submitted files are scanned for malicious content. The one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder. The limited rights can include uploading rights and prohibiting a submitter from viewing files that other submitters associated with the collection folder submitted. Thus, the collection folder is able to store files from the one or more submitters, but prevent them from viewing other'"'"'s submissions.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving from a collector, by a content management system, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, providing, by the content management system, one or more prompts requesting information from the collector;

receiving, by the content management system, information responding to the prompts;

generating, by the content management system, a link to a designated collection folder using at least some of the received information;

distributing, by the content management system, the generated link to one or more submitters based on at least some of the received information;

receiving, by the content management system, at least one file from a submitter who accessed the distributed link; and

providing, by the content management system to a third party website, the at least one received file for malicious content scanning for malware;

receiving, by the content management system from the third party website, each file that does not contain malware; and

storing, by the content management system, each file received from the third party website in the designated collection folder in an account associated with the collector,

wherein the submitter has limited rights to the designated collection folder which comprises uploading rights for uploading one or more files to the designated collection folder and prohibits the submitter from viewing files uploaded by other submitters associated with the designated collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the third party website scans each of the received files for malware.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying, by the content management system, the submitter that submitted the at least one file contains malware in response to the third party website detected malware that was unable to be removed.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying, by the content management system, the collector that the submitter submitted the at least one file containing malware in response to the third party website detected malware that was unable to be removed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the content management system does not receive a submitted file that contains malware that cannot be removed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing further comprises:

generating, by the content management system, a unique filename for the at least one file, with the unique filename including a name for the request and information identifying the submitter; and

storing, by the content management system, the at least one file and associating the unique filename with the at least one file.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the limited rights to the designated collection folder further comprise viewing rights allowing the submitter to view files the submitter uploaded and one or more files designated by the collector.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising deactivating the designated collection folder, by the content management system, at least partially in response to receiving a deactivating command from the collector, where the submitter is prohibited from accessing the deactivated collection folder.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the submitter does not have an account with the content management system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the content management system is a synchronized content management system.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

receive from a collector, by a content management system, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, provide, by the content management system, one or more prompts requesting information from the collector;

receive, by the content management system, information responding to the prompts;

generate, by the content management system, a link to a designated collection folder using at least some of the received information;

distribute, by the content management system, the generated link to one or more submitters based on at least some of the received information;

receive, by the content management system, at least one file from a submitter who accessed the distributed link; and

provide, by the content management system to a third party website, the at least one received file for malicious content scanning for malware;

receive, by the content management system from the third party website, each file that does not contain malware; and

store, by the content management system, each file received from the third party website in the designated collection folder in an account associated with the collector,

wherein the submitter has limited rights to the designated collection folder which comprises uploading rights for uploading one or more files to the designated collection folder and prohibits the submitter from viewing files uploaded by other submitters associated with the designated collection folder.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the third party website scans each of the received files for malware.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

notifying, by the content management system, the submitter that submitted the at least one file contains malware in response to the third party website detected malware that was unable to be removed.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

notifying, by the content management system, the collector that the submitter submitted the at least one file containing malware in response to the third party website detected malware that was unable to be removed.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the content management system does not receive a submitted file that contains malware that cannot be removed.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the storing further comprises:

generating, by the content management system, a unique filename for the at least one file, with the filename including a name for the request and information identifying the submitter; and

storing, by the content management system, the at least one file and associating the unique filename with the at least one file.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the limited rights to the designated collection folder further comprise viewing rights allowing the submitter to view files the submitter uploaded and one or more files designated by the collector.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising deactivating the designated collection folder, by the content management system, at least partially in response to receiving a deactivating command from the collector, where the submitter is prohibited from accessing the deactivated collection folder.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the submitter does not have an account with the content management system.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the content management system is a synchronized content management system.