SENSITIVE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20090158441A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Mohler, David S., Vick, Jason H.
• Granted Patent: US 11,270,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Information is identified as sensitive and a lapsed time job (Chron Job) is created that will allow the deletion of sensitive information after a period of time. The interval could be set to be longer than vacation or other planned use, and yet short enough to limit the period where risk to the organization or individual is incurred. The Chron Job could be integrated with the user'"'"'s calendar, such that the Chron Job considers holiday time as a means of delaying execution of the Chron Job which would allow a shorter interval to be selected. In addition to deletion of the information identified as sensitive, additional steps could also be taken, such as the purging of the recycle bin, modification of the FAT, and optionally the deletion of related information. Once information is identified as sensitive, the information and derivative works are tracked and managed.

Claims

1. A method of managing information comprising:

associating a sensitive information identifier with information identified as sensitive,

tracking actions relative to the sensitive information; and

performing, in response to the tracking step, an action on the sensitive information based on information in the sensitive information identifier, wherein the action includes one or more of deletion, sanitization, obfuscation and access restriction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensitive information identifier includes an expiration time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a tamper attempt and performing an action based on the sensitive information identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an environment in which access to the sensitive information is requested, and comparing the environment to a signature.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing an action specified in the sensitive information identifier based on the determining step.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a ranking with the sensitive information identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensitive information identifier is associated with one or more of a database, spreadsheet, presentation, email, file, application, operating system, device and electronic information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the sensitive information identifier specifying one or more of preventing boot of a device, blanking the screen of the device, disabling a keyboard or other input or communication device, halting an application, obfuscating sensitive information, restricting distribution of the sensitive information, preventing access to the device that contains the sensitive information, requesting supplemental authentication for access to the sensitive information, altering a boot sequence of the device that contains the sensitive information, modifying an operating system, modifying a profile of the device storing the sensitive information and disabling the device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying sensitive information based on a template.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface allowing management of the sensitive information identifier.

21. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions operable to perform the method of claim 1.

11. An information management system comprising:

an intelligent analysis module adapted to associate a sensitive information identifier with information identified as sensitive and to track actions relative to the sensitive information; and

a sensitive information identifier action module adapted to perform an action on the sensitive information based on information in the sensitive information identifier, wherein the action includes one or more of deletion, sanitization, obfuscation and access restriction.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensitive information identifier includes an expiration time.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a tamper module adapted to detect a tamper attempt and operate in conjunction with the sensitive information identifier action module to perform an action based on the sensitive information identifier.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a signature module adapted to determine an environment in which access to the sensitive information is requested, and compare the environment to a signature.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein an action specified in the sensitive information identifier is performed based on the determining step.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein a ranking is associated with the sensitive information identifier.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensitive information identifier is associated with one or more of a database, spreadsheet, presentation, email, file, application, operating system, device and electronic information.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensitive information identifier specifies one or more of preventing boot of a device, blanking the screen of the device, disabling a keyboard or other input or communication device, halting an application, obfuscating sensitive information, restricting distribution of the sensitive information, preventing access to the device that contains the sensitive information, requesting supplemental authentication for access to the sensitive information, altering a boot sequence of the device that contains the sensitive information, modifying an operating system, modifying a profile of the device storing the sensitive information and disabling the device.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a sensitive information identifier profile management module adapted to identify sensitive information based on a template.

20. Means for managing information comprising:

means for associating a sensitive information identifier with information identified as sensitive,

means for tracking actions relative to the sensitive information; and

means for performing an action on the sensitive information based on information in the sensitive information identifier, wherein the action includes one or more of deletion, sanitization, obfuscation and access restriction.

22. A sensitive information identifier, configured to track sensitive information, comprising:

an indicator specifying the sensitive information;

a portion to log actions relative to at least one computational component storing the sensitive information; and

an action portion that specifies an action relative to the sensitive information based on logged actions.