METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROTECT SENSITIVE CONTENT FOR HUMAN-ONLY CONSUMPTION

• US 20090144829A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Morgan, Margaret Beth, Zysk, David Warren, Grigsby, Travis M., Seacat, Lisa Anne
• Granted Patent: US 8,347,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for protecting sensitive content. In response to receiving a selection of content, the process determines whether the content is of a sensitive content type based on a policy. The process then designates the content as the sensitive content in response to the content being of a sensitive content type. Thereafter, the process generates a sensitive content reference for publication and stores the sensitive content in a data structure, wherein the data structure associates the sensitive content with the sensitive content reference. Subsequently, in response to receiving a request from a requester for the sensitive content reference, the process obfuscates the sensitive content using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content, and returns the obfuscated content to the requester.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for protecting sensitive content, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a selection of content, determining whether the content is of a sensitive content type based on a policy;

responsive to the content being of the sensitive content type, designating the content as the sensitive content;

generating a sensitive content reference for publication;

storing the sensitive content in a data structure, wherein the data structure associates the sensitive content with the sensitive content reference;

responsive to receiving a request from a requester for the sensitive content reference, obfuscating the sensitive content using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content; and

returning the obfuscated content to the requester.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected obfuscation algorithm is an experimental obfuscation algorithm, and wherein the computer implemented method further comprises:

creating an email address, wherein the email address is the sensitive content; and

responsive to receiving an unsolicited email at the email address, identifying the selected obfuscation algorithm as unsafe.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the content not being of the sensitive content type, publishing the content in unobfuscated form.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the content is made by a user.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the content is made automatically by a web server at serve time, and wherein the storing step is performed by the web server.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the obfuscated content is formed at rendering time.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensitive content is an email address.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the steps are performed by a service provider.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of obfuscating the content is performed by a web browser before displaying a web page presenting the obfuscated content.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for protecting sensitive content, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code for determining, responsive to receiving a selection of content, whether the selection of content is of a sensitive content type based on a policy;

computer usable program code for designating the content as the sensitive content in response to the content being of the sensitive content type;

computer usable program code for generating a sensitive content reference for publication;

computer usable program code for storing the sensitive content in a data structure, wherein the data structure associates the sensitive content with the sensitive content reference;

computer usable program code for obfuscating the sensitive content using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content in response to receiving a request from a requester for the sensitive content reference; and

computer usable program code for returning the obfuscated content to the requester.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable program code for publishing the content in unobfuscated form in response to the content not being one of the sensitive content type.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the selection of the content is made automatically by a web server at serve time, and wherein the storing step is performed by the web server.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the obfuscated content is formed at rendering time.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the sensitive content is an email address.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the steps are performed by a service provider.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code for performing the step of obfuscating the content is performed by a web browser before displaying a web page presenting the obfuscated content.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to determine, responsive to receiving a selection of content, whether the selection of the content is of a sensitive content type based on a policy;

designate the content as sensitive content in response to the content being of the sensitive content type;

generate a sensitive content reference for publication;

store the sensitive content in a data structure, wherein the data structure associates the sensitive content with the sensitive content reference;

obfuscate the sensitive content using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content in response to receiving a request from a requester for the sensitive content reference; and

returning the obfuscated content to the requester.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing unit executes computer usable program code for publishing the content in unobfuscated form in response to the content not being one of the sensitive content type.