Method, system and software product for restricting access to network accessible digital information
First Claim
1. A method for restricting access to network accessible digital information by network users of at least one subscriber network, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) monitoring at each subscriber network all requests by the network users for digital information;
(b) determining whether a location indicator associated with each request is included in a database of restricted location indicators maintained at each subscriber network and denying the request where the location indicator is in the database;
(c) retrieving the digital information stored at the location indicator and initially analyzing the content of the information for a predetermined maximum time in the event that the location indicator is not in the database and denying or fulfilling the request based on the initial analysis;
(d) periodically forwarding the location indicators not in the database from the subscriber networks to a remote network node;
(e) retrieving the digital information stored at the forwarded location indicators at the remote network node and further analyzing the content of the information; and
periodically forwarding the location indicators found to have restricted content from the remote network node to the subscriber networks for inclusion in the database of restricted location indicators.
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Abstract
A method for restricting access to network accessible digital information by network users of at least one subscriber network. The method comprises the steps of monitoring at each subscriber network all requests by the network users for digital information; determining whether a location indicator associated with each request is included in a database of restricted location indicators maintained at each subscriber network and denying the request where the location indicator is in the database. The method also involves retrieving the digital information stored at the location indicator and analyzing the content of the information for a predetermined maximum time in the event that the location indicator is not in the database and denying or fulfilling the request based on the content analysis, periodically forwarding the location indicators not in the database from the subscriber networks to a remote network node; retrieving the digital information stored at the forwarded location indicators at the remote network node and analyzing the content of the information; and periodically forwarding the location indicators found to have restricted content from the remote network node to the subscriber networks for inclusion in the database of restricted location indicators,
63 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for restricting access to network accessible digital information by network users of at least one subscriber network, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring at each subscriber network all requests by the network users for digital information;
(b) determining whether a location indicator associated with each request is included in a database of restricted location indicators maintained at each subscriber network and denying the request where the location indicator is in the database;
(c) retrieving the digital information stored at the location indicator and initially analyzing the content of the information for a predetermined maximum time in the event that the location indicator is not in the database and denying or fulfilling the request based on the initial analysis;
(d) periodically forwarding the location indicators not in the database from the subscriber networks to a remote network node;
(e) retrieving the digital information stored at the forwarded location indicators at the remote network node and further analyzing the content of the information; and
periodically forwarding the location indicators found to have restricted content from the remote network node to the subscriber networks for inclusion in the database of restricted location indicators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 7, 9, 10)
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- 3. The method of claim I wherein the subscriber networks are local area networks wherein client computers communicate via the Ethernet access protocol.
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5. The method of claim I wherein the location indicator is a Uniform Resource Locator.
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8. The method of claim I including the step of determining whether the location indicator is in an exception list before determining whether it is in the database and fulfilling the request in the event that the location indicator is in the exception list.
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11. A system for restricting access to a network accessible digital information by network users of at least one subscriber network, said system comprising:
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(a) a database of restricted location indicators stored at each subscriber network;
(b) monitoring means at each subscriber network for monitoring all requests by the network users of the subscriber network for digital information;
(c) said monitoring means also determining whether a location indicator associated with each request is in the database;
(d) analysis means at each subscriber network for initially analyzing the content of the information stored at each location indicator not in the database and for denying or fulfilling the request based on the initial analysis;
(e) forwarding means at each subscriber network for periodically forwarding the location indicators not in the database to a remote network node;
(f) retrieval and analysis means at the remote network node for retrieving the digital information stored at each of the location indicators forwarded by the subscriber networks and further analyzing the content of the information; and
(g) dispatching means at the remote network node for periodically dispatching the location indicators found to have restricted content by the analysis means to the subscriber networks for inclusion in each database. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer software product for restricting access to network accessible digital information by the network users of a subscriber network, said product comprising:
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(a) computer readable program code means for monitoring all requests by the network users for digital information;
(b) computer readable program code means for determining whether a location indicator associated with each request is included in a database of restricted location indicators stored at the subscriber network;
(c) computer readable program code means for analyzing the content of the information stored at each location indicator not in the database and for denying or fulfilling the request based on the analysis;
(d) computer readable program code means for periodically forwarding the location indicators not in the database to a remote network node; and
(e) computer readable program code means for periodically receiving location indicators from the remote network node and including said location indicators in the database. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification