Method and apparatus for removing confindential information from a history

• US 20020191020A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ullmann, Cristi Nesbitt, Kaply, Michael Aaron, Reed, Aaron Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/884,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself

Abstract

A method and apparatus for removing information in a data processing system. A selection of information for removal is received from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session. In response to a termination of the browser session, the information is automatically removed from the history using the selection without requiring a user input.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for removing information, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

responsive to a termination of the browser session, automatically removing the information from the history using the selection without requiring a user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises:

receiving the selection of information as a user input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input is received through a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein only the information is removed without destroying the integrity of other portions of the history.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the history includes a cookie file, a cache for storing data associated with Web pages, a location list, and a history list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received as at least one string.

2. The method of clam 1, wherein the information includes at least one of a phone number, a credit card number, a social security number, an address of a user, a user identification, a password, and a personal identification number.

8. A method in a data processing system for removing information from a history generated by a browser, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of user information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

responsive to generation of the history, removing the information from the history using the selection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the removing step occurs when a browser sessions terminated.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user information includes at least one a phone number, a credit card number, a social security number, an address of a user, a user identification, a password, and a personal identification number.

11. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a selection of information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

automatically remove the information from the history using the selection without requiring a user input in response to a termination of the browser session.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the receiving means comprises:

means for receiving the selection of information as a user input.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the user input is received through a graphical user interface.

17. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein only the information is removed without destroying the integrity of other portions of the history.

18. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the history includes a cookie file, a cache for storing data associated with Web pages, a location list, and a history list.

19. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the information is received as at least one string.

12. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a selection of user information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

remove the information from the history using the selection in response to generation of the history.

13. A data processing system for removing information, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a selection of information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

automatically removing means, responsive to a termination of the browser session, for automatically removing the information from the history using the selection without requiring a user input.

14. The data processing system of clam 13, wherein the information includes at least one of a phone number, a credit card number, a social security number, an address of a user, a user identification, a password, and a personal identification number.

20. A data processing system for removing information from a history generated by a browser, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a selection of user information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

removing means, responsive to generation of the history, for removing the information from the history using the selection.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the removing means occurs when a browser sessions terminated.

22. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the user information includes at least one of a phone number, a credit card number, a social security number, an address of a user, a user identification, a password, and a personal identification number.

23. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for removing information, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a selection of information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

second instructions, responsive to a termination of the browser session, for automatically removing the information from the history using the selection without requiring a user input.

24. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for removing information from a history generated by a browser, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a selection of user information for removal from a history generated by a browser, wherein the selection is received prior to a browser session; and

second instructions, responsive to generation of the history, for removing the information from the history using the selection