METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SCREENING REMOTE SITE CONNECTIONS AND FILTERING DATA BASED ON A COMMUNITY TRUST ASSESSMENT

• US 20090240769A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascentive LLC
• Original Assignee: Ascentive LLC
• Inventors: Schran, Adam R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Remote site connections are screened based on assessments performed by members of a trust community. Data based on a plurality of-end user assessments of particular remote websites are received at a server from a plurality of end-users. Each end-user is associated with a specific client machine which is in communication with the server. The server generates assessment scores based on the data. The server transmits the assessment scores to the client machines. The client machine selectively takes protective action against ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of screening remote site connections, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at a server from a plurality of end-users, data based on a plurality of end-user assessments of particular remote websites, each end-user being associated with a specific client machine which is in communication with the server, wherein for at least some of the remote websites, the server receives end-user assessment data for the same remote website from a plurality of end-users;

(b) the server generating assessment scores for the particular remote websites based on the data;

(c) the server transmitting the assessment scores to the client machines; and

(d) each specific client machine selectively taking protective action against ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server,

wherein the end-users and the remote websites are different and unrelated types of entities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the protective action prevents the specific client machine from connecting to the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the protective action filters specific content or instructions received from the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the assessment scores are generated based on data regarding a percentage of end-users who assess a particular remote website as being a trusted site or a suspicious site.

5. A computer-implemented method of screening remote site connections, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at a server from a plurality of end-users, data based on a plurality of end-user assessments of particular remote websites, each end-user being associated with a specific client machine which is in communication with the server, wherein for at least some of the remote websites, the server receives end-user assessment data for the same remote websites from a plurality of end-users;

(b) for each particular remote website, the server generating assessment scores based on the number of the end-users who trust the particular remote website, and the number of the end-users who do not trust the particular remote website;

(c) the server transmitting the assessment scores to the client machines; and

(d) each specific client machine selectively taking protective action against ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server,

wherein the end-users and the remote websites are different and unrelated types of entities.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the protective action prevents the specific client machine from connecting to the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the protective action filters specific content or instructions received from the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

8. A system for screening remote site connections, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of client machines; and

(b) a server in communication with the client machines, the server receiving data based on a plurality of end-user assessments of particular remote websites, each end-user being associated with a specific one of the client machines, wherein for at least some of the remote websites, the server receives end-user assessment data for the same remote website from a plurality of end-users and wherein;

(i) the server generates assessment scores for the particular remote websites based on the data;

(ii) the server transmits the assessment scores to the client machines; and

(iii) each specific client machine selectively takes protective action against ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server, the end-users and the remote websites being different and unrelated types of entities.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the protective action prevents the specific client machine from connecting to the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the protective action filters specific content or instructions received from the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

11. A system for screening remote site connections, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of client machines that generate data based on a plurality of end-user assessments of particular remote websites, each end-user being associated with a specific one of the client machines, wherein for at least some of the remote websites, end user-assessment data is generated for the same remote website from a plurality of end-users; and

(b) a server in communication with the client machines, the server receiving the data based on a plurality of end-user assessments of particular remote websites, wherein;

(i) the server generates assessment scores for the particular remote websites based on the number of the end-users who trust the particular remote websites, and the number of the end-users who do not trust the particular remote websites;

(ii) the server transmits the assessment scores to the client machines; and

(iii) each specific client machine selectively takes protective action against ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server,

the end-users and the remote websites being different and unrelated types of entities.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the protective action prevents the specific client machine from connecting to the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the protective action filters specific content or instructions received from the ones of the particular remote websites that have an undesirable assessment score generated by the server.