Method and system for information distribution management

• US 20050025291A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PortAuthority Technologies, Inc. (Forcepoint LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vidius, Inc. (Forcepoint LLC)
• Inventors: Peled, Ariel, Baratz, Arik
• Application Number:
  US10/927,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025291A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method or apparatus for efficient handling of a blocked message in a digital traffic filtering system, the method comprising: sending a notification to an authorized person about the blocking of the message, and including therein an override feature by which the authorized person can override the blocking.

Claims

1. A method for efficient handling of a blocked message in a digital traffic filtering system, the method comprising:

a. sending a notification to an authorized person about said blocking, and

b. including in said notification an override feature by which said authorized person can override said blocking.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said override feature within said notification comprises a digital code, the method further comprising sending said code to a message releasing component responsible for releasing said blocked message, in order to allow releasing of said blocked message at said message releasing component.

3. A method according to claim 2, comprising sending said digital code to said message releasing component using either one of a mail reply command and a mail forward command.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said digital code is used by said message releasing component in order to identify said blocked message.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said digital code comprises a pseudo-random series of alphanumeric characters.

6. A method according to claim 2, comprising transferring said code to predetermined users, thereby to enable said predetermined users to release the blocked email.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said digital code is sent to said authorized person in a manner in which it cannot be seen by said authorized person.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said authorized person comprises at least one of:

the sender of the mail;

the owner of an information item within said blocked mail;

the system administrator and,

the organization security officer.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said notification contains instructions with which said authorized person can release said blocked message.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said notification contains a copy of the blocked message.

11. A method according to claim 2, wherein an initiator of said blocked message receives a notification that does not contain said digital code.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said message is any of a group comprising:

a client server communication, an email message, an email attachment, an SMS message, a instant messaging communication, a peer to peer communication, fax message and a file being transferred by a file transfer protocol.

13. A method according to claim 2, further comprising authenticating the identity of said sender of said digital code.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said authenticating of said identity of said sender of said digital code is based on at least one of the following:

said sender email address inside the organization

said sender Media Access Control (MAC) address

a standard Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) authentication scheme

15. A method according to claim 2, wherein said message releasing component is a client program within a server.

16. An apparatus for efficient handling of a blocked message in a digital traffic filtering system, the apparatus comprising:

a. a notification sending component for sending a notification to an authorized person about said blocking, said notification including an override feature by which said authorized person can instruct overriding of said blocking

b. a message releasing component for holding said blocked message and for conditionally releasing said blocked message upon receiving said override instructions from said authorized person.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said override feature within said notification comprises a digital code, and wherein said apparatus is configured to send said code to said message releasing component for release of said message.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, configured to send said digital code to said message releasing component using at least one of a mail reply command and a mail forward command.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said message releasing component is configured to use said digital code in order to identify said blocked message.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said digital code comprises a pseudo-random series of alphanumeric characters.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said code is transferred to at least one predetermined user, thereby to enable said predetermined user to release the blocked email.

22. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said digital code is sent to said authorized person in a manner in which it cannot be seen by said authorized person.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said authorized person comprises at least one of:

An authorized recipient of said blocked mail;

the sender of the mail;

the owner of an information item within said blocked mail;

the system administrator and,

the organization security officer.

24. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said notification contains instructions with which said authorized person can release said blocked message.

25. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said notification contains a copy of the blocked message.

26. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein an initiator of said blocked message receives a notification that does not contain said digital code.

27. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said message is any of a group comprising:

a client server communication, an email message, an email attachment, an SMS message, a instant messaging communication, a peer to peer communication, fax message and a file being transferred by a file transfer protocol.