PROFILE SCANNER

• US 20100250484A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Andersen, David M., Miller, Emerson D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying users of personal computers within a network for the purposes of electronic discovery. Embodiments herein disclosed provide for a tool that accesses the personal computers via the network, locates and queries the profile list on each personal computer, transmits for each personal computer computer-identifying data associated with the personal computer and user-identifying data associated with a user of the personal computer, and stores the computer-identifying data in a database so that it can be used in an electronic discovery system to collect data stored by the user on the computer.

Claims

1. A method for identifying users of personal computers within a network for the purposes of electronic discovery, comprising:

accessing the personal computers via the network;

querying the profile list on each personal computer;

transmitting for each personal computer computer-identifying data associated with the personal computer and user-identifying data associated with a user of the personal computer; and

storing the computer-identifying data in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the computer-identifying data in a database comprises adding the computer-identifying data to an existing entry in a custodian directory associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the user-identifying information to store the computer-identifying data in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the user-identifying information to link the computer-identifying data stored in the database to an existing entry in a custodian directory associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the profile list comprises reading the registry key list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-identifying data comprises a computer name.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-identifying data comprises an IP address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the profile list comprises reading a registry key list on the personal computer comprising at least one registry key.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-identifying data comprises at least a portion of a registry key.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the computer-identifying data to an electronic discovery manager upon the identification of the user as a subject for electronic discovery.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting log-on data associated with the user of the personal computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the log-on data is transmitted in conjunction with the transmission of the computer-identifying data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the log-on data comprises the last date and time that the user logged on to the personal computer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the log-on data comprises the number of times that the user logged on to the personal computer during a predetermined period of time.

15. A method for identifying users of personal computers within a network for the purposes of electronic discovery, comprising:

installing on the personal computers a tool configured to transmit computer-identifying data and user-identifying to a database server;

accessing a preexisting directory comprising data relating to the users;

locating in the directory an entry that comprises data matching the user-identifying data; and

linking the computer-identifying data to the entry.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tool is configured to transmit the computer identifying data and the user-identifying data every time a user logs on to a personal computer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user-identifying data comprises a network user identification.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer-identifying data comprises a computer name.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer-identifying data comprises an IP address.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein linking the computer-identifying data to the entry comprises recording the computer-identifying data in the entry.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the computer-identifying data in a database configured to be in communication with the directory.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

presenting the computer-identifying data to an electronic discovery manager upon the identification of the user as a subject for electronic discovery.

23. A system for identifying users of personal computers within a network for the purposes of electronic discovery, comprising:

a profile scanning tool configured to scan the personal computers, query the profile list on each personal computer, and transmit to a database server for each personal computer computer-identifying data associated with the personal computer and user-identifying data associated with a user of the personal computer;

a database server configured to receive the computer-identifying data and the user-identifying data from the profile scanning tool and store the computer-identifying data in a database; and

an electronic discovery management server in communication with the database server via the network configured to retrieve from the database server the computer-identifying data in response to an electronic discovery request targeting the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the database server is configured to access a preexisting directory comprising data relating to the users and locate in the directory an entry that comprises data matching the user-identifying data.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the database is the directory and wherein the database server is configured to store the computer-identifying data in the entry.

26. A computer program product for maintaining a custodian management system in for the purposes of performing electronic discovery in an enterprise environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program instructions stored therein, wherein said computer readable program instructions comprise:

first instructions configured for accessing the personal computers via the network;

second instructions configured for querying the profile list on each personal computer;

third instructions configured for transmitting for each personal computer computer-identifying data associated with the personal computer and user-identifying data associated with a user of the personal computer; and

fourth instructions configured for storing the computer-identifying data in a database.