Methods and apparatuses for information authentication and user interface feedback

• US 20060259767A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VE Networks Canada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VE Networks Canada Incorporated
• Inventors: Ha, Phong Van, Mansz, Robert Paul, Groom, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/130,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for management of entitlement to security operations. In one aspect, a method for authentication, includes: determining an indication of a cursor being positioned over a graphical user interface element of a first application process for a period of time, where the first application process is to present information and the graphical user interface element has encrypted data obtained with the information; and in response to the indication: obtaining the encrypted data from the graphical user interface element; and determining whether or not the information is trusted using the encrypted data. In another aspect, a method for authentication, includes: determining whether or not information loaded into a first application for display to a first user is trusted based on encrypted data obtained with the information; and in response to a determination that the information is trusted, presenting at least one of a user designated visual cue and a user designated audio cue to indicate that the information is trusted.

Claims

1. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method for authentication, the method comprising:

determining an indication of a cursor being positioned over a graphical user interface element of a first application process for a period of time, the first application process to present information, the graphical user interface element having encrypted data obtained with the information;

in response to the indication;

obtaining the encrypted data from the graphical user interface element; and

determining whether or not the information is trusted using the encrypted data.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the information comprises one of:

a web page; and

an email message.

3. The medium of claim 2, wherein the first application process comprises a web browser;

and the graphical user interface element comprises one of;

a graphical representation of a trust mark; and

a hyper link.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein said determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

verifying an identity of a sender of the information; and

verifying integrity of the information.

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein said determining whether or not the information is trusted further comprises:

verifying an identity of a recipient of the information.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein:

said verifying the identity of the recipient comprises decrypting the encrypted data using a private key of the recipient;

said verifying the identity of the sender comprises decrypting a version of the encrypted data using a public key of the sender; and

said verifying the integrity of the information comprises comparing a decrypted version of the encrypted data with a processed version of the information.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the processed version of the information comprises a digest of the information.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises one of:

presenting a personalized visual cue when the information is determined to be trusted; and

presenting a personalized audio cue when the information is determined to be trusted.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the indication is determined through analyzing windows system messages.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the visual cue and the audio cue are presented in a second process which is separate from the first application process.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the second process is a background service process.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the encrypted data is obtained from the graphical user interface element through a document object model (DOM).

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein the second process presents the visual cue in a popup window near an icon tray of a desktop of a graphical user interface system.

14. The medium of claim 10, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is specifically personalized for at least one of:

a user of the first application process; and

a sender of information.

15. The medium of claim 10, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is selected from one or more lists for a user of the first application process.

16. The medium of claim 10, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is imported from user provided data.

17. The medium of claim 1, wherein the encrypted data comprises a superencrypted version of a digital signature of a sender of the information on the information;

wherein the digital signature is superencrypted with a public key of a recipient of the information.

18. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method for authentication, the method comprising:

determining whether or not information loaded into a first application for display to a first user is trusted based on encrypted data obtained with the information; and

in response to a determination that the information is trusted, presenting a user designated visual cue to indicate that the information is trusted.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the visual cue is presented as part of the information in the first application.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the first application comprises a web browser.

21. The medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the determination that the information is trusted, presenting a user designated audio cue to indicate that the information is trusted.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is selected by the first user from one or more lists.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein said determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

verifying an identity of a sender of the information.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is user selected specifically for the sender.

25. The medium of claim 21, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is customized by the first user.

26. The medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting presence of the encrypted data in the information loaded into the first application process in a second process through a document object model (DOM).

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting an event of a cursor over a representation of the encrypted data in the first application through analyzing windows system messages in the second process.

28. A method for authentication, the method comprising:

determining an indication of a cursor being positioned over a graphical user interface element of a first application process for a period of time, the first application process to present information, the graphical user interface element having encrypted data obtained with the information;

in response to the indication;

obtaining the encrypted data from the graphical user interface element; and

determining whether or not the information is trusted using the encrypted data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the information comprises one of:

a web page; and

an email message; and

wherein the first application process comprises a web browser; and

wherein the graphical user interface element comprises one of;

a graphical representation of a trust mark; and

a hyper link.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

verifying an identity of a sender of the information; and

verifying integrity of the information.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising one of:

presenting a personalized visual cue when the information is determined to be trusted; and

presenting a personalized audio cue when the information is determined to be trusted.

wherein the indication is determined through analyzing windows system messages;

wherein the visual cue and the audio cue are presented in a second process which is separate from the first application process; and

wherein the encrypted data is obtained from the graphical user interface element through a document object model (DOM).

32. The method of claim 31, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is specifically personalized for at least one of:

a user of the first application process; and

a sender of information.

33. A method for authentication, the method comprising:

determining whether or not information loaded into a first application for display to a first user is trusted based on encrypted data obtained with the information; and

in response to a determination that the information is trusted, presenting at least one of a user designated visual cue and a user designated audio cue to indicate that the information is trusted.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is selected by the first user from one or more lists or customized by the first user.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

verifying an identity of a sender of the information;

wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is user selected specifically for the sender.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

detecting presence of the encrypted data in the information loaded into the first application process in a second process through a document object model (DOM); and

detecting an event of a cursor over a representation of the encrypted data in the first application through analyzing windows system messages in the second process.

37. A data processing system for authentication, the system comprising:

means for determining an indication of a cursor being positioned over a graphical user interface element of a first application process for a period of time, the first application process to present information, the graphical user interface element having encrypted data obtained with the information;

means for, in response to the indication, obtaining the encrypted data from the graphical user interface element; and

means for, in response to the indication, determining whether or not the information is trusted using the encrypted data.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the information comprises one of:

a web page; and

an email message; and

wherein the first application process comprises a web browser; and

wherein the graphical user interface element comprises one of;

a graphical representation of a trust mark; and

a hyper link.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein said means for determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

means for verifying an identity of a sender of the information; and

means for verifying integrity of the information.

40. The system of claim 37, further comprising one of:

means for presenting a personalized visual cue when the information is determined to be trusted; and

means for presenting a personalized audio cue when the information is determined to be trusted.

wherein the indication is determined through analyzing windows system messages;

wherein the visual cue and the audio cue are presented in a second process which is separate from the first application process; and

wherein the encrypted data is obtained from the graphical user interface element through a document object model (DOM).

41. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is specifically personalized for at least one of:

a user of the first application process; and

a sender of information.

42. A data processing system for authentication, the system comprising:

means for determining whether or not information loaded into a first application for display to a first user is trusted based on encrypted data obtained with the information; and

means for, in response to a determination that the information is trusted, presenting a user designated visual cue to indicate that the information is trusted.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

means for, in response to the determination that the information is trusted, presenting a user designated audio cue to indicate that the information is trusted;

wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is selected by the first user from one or more lists or customized by the first user.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said means for determining whether or not the information is trusted comprises:

means for verifying an identity of a sender of the information;

wherein at least one of the visual cue and the audio cue is user selected specifically for the sender.

45. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

means for detecting presence of the encrypted data in the information loaded into the first application process in a second process through a document object model (DOM); and

means for detecting an event of a cursor over a representation of the encrypted data in the first application through analyzing windows system messages in the second process.