DECRYPTION OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION IN AN ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY ENTERPRISE SYSTEM

• US 20100250931A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• 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., Mayer, Michael J., Miller, Emerson D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/325 Hash tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

Apparatus, methods and computer program products are described herein for automatically decrypting electronic communication that is harvested from custodians in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system. Automatic decryption provides for electronic communication that is encrypted to be decrypted, even in instances in which the system is not provided the password and/or decryption key(s) from the encrypting custodian. The automatic decryption process, which ensues prior to delivering data to the third party data analysis provider or the requesting party, allows for data that may otherwise be unavailable or incomprehensible to the third party or requester to be readily accessible. Thus, decryption of such data in a relatively efficient and automated manner is highly beneficial.

Claims

1. A method for electronic communication decryption in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the method comprising:

providing for an electronic communication file and an associated user identification file that includes user identity, a password and one or more decryption keys;

generating, automatically, a client-specific electronic communication session based on the user identification file;

accessing the electronic communication file within the generated electronic communication session;

identifying, automatically, encrypted entries within the electronic communication file;

applying, automatically, the password to the user identification file to provide for the one or more decryption keys; and

decrypting, automatically, the encrypted entries based on the one or more decryption keys.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for an electronic communication file further comprises providing for an Notes Storage Facility (.NSF) electronic communication file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing for an associated user identification file further comprises providing for an ID file.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein accessing the electronic communication file within the generated electronic communication session further comprises accessing the .NSF electronic communication file and wherein identifying, automatically, encrypted entries further comprises identifying, automatically, encrypted .NSF entries within the .NSF electronic communication file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an owner of the user identification file to provide association between the user identification file and the electronic communication file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying an owner of the user identification further comprises analyzing contents of the user identification file and comparing contents of the user identification file to enterprise-wide databases to identify the owner of the user identification file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting entry format of one or more entries in the electronic communication file to a predetermined entry format.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an electronic file entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the electronic file entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries further defines the electronic file entry index as one or more of form type, number of entries per form type, number of appointment entries or number of electronic mail entries.

10. A system for decrypting electronic communication in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the system comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a decryption module stored in the memory, in communication with at least one of the one or more processors and including a decryption application configured to automatically decrypt encrypted entries in an electronic communication file, wherein the application includes,

a client-specific electronic communication session generator configured to automatically generate an electronic communication session based on a user identification file and open an electronic communication file associated with the user identification file,

an encrypted entry identifier configured to automatically identify one or more encrypted entries in the electronic communication file, and

a decryption routine configured to automatically decrypt the one or more encrypted entries based on applying a predetermined password to the user identification file to provide for the one or more decryption keys and decrypting based on the decryption keys.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client-specific electronic communication session generator is further configured to generate an electronic communication session based on an ID file and open a Notes Storage Facility (.NSF) electronic communication file.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the encryption entry identifier is further configured to automatically identify .NSF entries within the .NSF electronic communication file.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the decryption module further comprises a user identification file analyzation tool configured to analyze content of the user identification file and compare the content of the user identification file to one or more enterprise-wide databases to identify the owner of the user identification file.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising an electronic communication file entry form change application configured to convert entry format of one or more entries in the electronic communication file to a predetermined entry format.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising an electronic communication file entry index generator configured to provide an entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries in a file.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electronic communication file entry index generator is further configured to provide an electronic file entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries further defines the electronic file entry index as one or more of form type, number of entries per form type, number of appointment entries or number of electronic mail entries.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to provide for an electronic communication file and an associated user identification file that includes user identity, a password and one or more decryption keys;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to generate, automatically, a client-specific electronic communication session based on the user identification file;

a third set of codes for causing a computer to access the electronic communication file within the generated electronic communication session;

a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to identify, automatically, encrypted entries within the electronic communication file;

a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to apply, automatically, the password to the user identification file to provide for the one or more decryption keys; and

a sixth set of codes for causing a computer to decrypt, automatically, the encrypted entries based on the one or more decryption keys.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to providing for an .NSF electronic communication file and an ID file.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to access the .NSF electronic communication file and wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify, automatically, encrypted .NSF entries within the .NSF electronic communication file.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to identify an owner of the user identification file to provide association between the user identification file and the electronic communication file.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to analyze contents of the user identification file and comparing contents of the user identification file to enterprise-wide databases to identify the owner of the user identification file.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to convert entry format of one or more entries in the electronic communication file to a predetermined entry format.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to provide an electronic file entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to provide the electronic file entry index for at least one of converted entries or all entries further defines electronic file entry index as one or more of form type, number of entries per form type, number of appointment entries or number of electronic mail entries.

25. A method for electronic communication decryption in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the method comprising:

generating a user identification file database;

identifying a file owner for a plurality of files in the user identification file database;

identifying a password for a plurality of files in the user identification file database;

verifying the validity of the password;

recording the file owner and the password in an entry of the file in the user identification file database; and

decrypting, automatically, electronic communication encrypted entries in electronic communication files based on an associated user identification file.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein generating a user identification file database further comprises scanning enterprise-wide for user identification files.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein generating a user identification file database further comprises retrieving one or more user identification file databases from one or more of an enterprise server of an enterprise file share.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein generating a user identification file database further comprises generating an ID file database.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein identifying a file owner for a plurality of files in the user identification database further comprises analyzing content of a user identification file and comparing the content to one or more enterprise databases to identify the owner of the files.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein identifying a password further comprises deciphering the password from the user identification file name.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein identifying a password further comprises brute-force deciphering of the password.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein decrypting, automatically, encrypted electronic communication entries further comprises accessing an associated user identification file based on the identified password to provide the decryption key for decrypting the encrypted electronic communication entries.

33. A system for decrypting electronic communication in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the system comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a decryption module stored in the memory, in communication with at least one of the one or more processors and configured to automatically decrypt encrypted entries in an electronic communication file, wherein the module includes,

a user identification file database generator configured to generate a user identification file database,

a user identification file owner identifier configured to identify the owner of a plurality of the files in the user identification file,

2a user identification file password identifier configured to determine an associated password for each of a plurality of the files in the user identification file,

a password verifier configured to verify the validity of the determined password,

a recorder configured to record the password and owner as an entry in the associated file of the user identification file database, and

a decryption application configured to automatically decrypt encrypted entries in electronic communication files based on an associated user identification file.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file database generator is further configured to scan enterprise-wide for user identification files.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file database generator is further configured to retrieve one or more user identification file databases from one or more of an enterprise server of an enterprise file share.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file database generator is further configured to generate an ID file database.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file owner identifier is further configured to analyze content of a user identification file and comparing the content to one or more enterprise databases to identify the owner of the files.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file password identifier is further configured to decipher the password from the user identification file name.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the user identification file password identifier is further configured to brute-force decipher the password.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the decryption application is further configured to access an associated user identification file based on the identified password to provide the decryption key for decrypting the encrypted electronic communication entries.

41. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to generate a user identification file database;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to identify a file owner for a plurality of files in the user identification file database;

a third set of codes for causing a computer to identify a password for a plurality of files in the user identification file database;

a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to verify the validity of the password;

a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to record the file owner and the password in an entry of the file in the user identification file database; and

a sixth set of codes for causing a computer to decrypt, automatically, electronic communication encrypted entries in electronic communication files based on an associated user identification file.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to scan enterprise-wide for user identification files.

43. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to retrieve one or more user identification file databases from one or more of an enterprise server of an enterprise file share.

44. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to generate an ID file database.

46. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to decipher the password from the user identification file name.

47. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to brute-force deciphering of the password.

48. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the sixth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to access an associated user identification file based on the identified password to provide the decryption key for decrypting the encrypted electronic communication entries.

45. The computer program product of 41, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to analyze content of a user identification file and comparing the content to one or more enterprise databases to identify the owner of the files.