Systems and methods to anonymize web browsing

• US 10,455,037 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Chen, Jia, Leung, Wing L., Trim, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US15/379,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A method includes sending one or more messages, from a computing device to a server, to cause the server to establish a connection with the computing device, to cause the server to identify a first set of anonymization characteristics, and to cause the server to instantiate a first instance of an access application within a first cloud container using the first set of anonymization characteristics. The method also includes receiving, by the computing device, second data from the server via the connection. The second data is determined based on first data received by the server from a first website using the first instance of the access application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending one or more messages, from a computing device to a server, to cause the server to establish a connection with the computing device, to cause the server to identify a first set of anonymization characteristics, the first set of anonymization characteristics identified independently of the one or more messages, and to cause the server to instantiate a first instance of an access application within a first cloud container using the first set of anonymization characteristics, wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics correspond to application settings for the first instance of the access application; and

receiving, by the computing device, second data from the server via the connection, the second data determined based on first data received by the server from a first website using the first instance of the access application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cloud container is associated with the connection such that access to the first cloud container is restricted to computing devices communicating with the server via the connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the access application corresponds to an internet browser application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second data corresponds to an internet browser application interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending, to the server via the connection, third data to cause the server to identify a second set of anonymization characteristics and to instantiate a second instance of the access application within a second cloud container using the second set of anonymization characteristics; and

receiving, by the computing device, fifth data from the server, the fifth data determined based on fourth data received by the server from a second website using the second instance of the access application.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the first instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the first website during a browsing session, and

wherein the second set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the second instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the second website during the browsing session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics includes browser attributes that include browser plugins, system fonts, or both.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing processor-executable instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

initiate sending of one or more messages to a server to cause the server to establish a connection with a computing device that includes the one or more processors, to cause the server to identify a first set of anonymization characteristics, the first set of anonymization characteristics identified independently of the one or more messages, and to cause the server to instantiate a first instance of an access application within a first cloud container using the first set of anonymization characteristics, wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics correspond to application settings for the first instance of the access application; and

receive second data from the server via the connection, the second data determined based on first data received by the server from a first website using the first instance of the access application.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first cloud container is associated with the connection such that access to the first cloud container is restricted to computing devices communicating with the server via the connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the access application corresponds to an internet browser application.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second data corresponds to an internet browser application interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor-executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

initiate sending, to the server via the connection, third data to cause the server to identify a second set of anonymization characteristics and to instantiate a second instance of the access application within a second cloud container using the second set of anonymization characteristics; and

receive fifth data from the server, the fifth data determined based on fourth data received by the server from a second website using the second instance of the access application.

13. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the first instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the first website during a browsing session, and

wherein the second set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the second instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the second website during the browsing session.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics are generated randomly, pseudo-randomly, or both.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

initiate sending of one or more messages to a server to cause the server to establish a connection with a computing device that includes the one or more processors, to cause the server to identify a first set of anonymization characteristics, the first set of anonymization characteristics identified independently of the one or more messages, and to cause the server to instantiate a first instance of an access application within a first cloud container using the first set of anonymization characteristics, wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics correspond to application settings for the first instance of the access application; and

receive second data from the server via the connection, the second data determined based on first data received by the server from a first website using the first instance of the access application.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first cloud container is associated with the connection such that access to the first cloud container is restricted to computing devices communicating with the server via the connection.

17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the access application corresponds to an internet browser application.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second data corresponds to an internet browser application interface.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

send, to the server via the connection, third data to cause the server to identify a second set of anonymization characteristics and to instantiate a second instance of the access application within a second cloud container using the second set of anonymization characteristics; and

receive fifth data from the server, the fifth data determined based on fourth data received by the server from a second website using the second instance of the access application.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19,

wherein the first set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the first instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the first website during a browsing session, and

wherein the second set of anonymization characteristics is identified, and the second instance of the access application is instantiated, to access the second website during the browsing session.