UPLOAD SECURITY SCHEME

• US 20110061099A1
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Christopher Wu, Joy Sato, Yingqing Lawrence Cui, Zhaowei Charlie Jiang
• Inventors: Sato, Joy, Cui, Yingqing Lawrence, Wu, Christopher, Jiang, Zhaowei Charlie
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

Abstract

The need for upload security arises during content sharing between users in communication link with each other and a server. In one embodiment, providing the upload security involves the server identifying a mobile device that sends an upload message destined to a user. Providing the upload security further involves the server accessing opt-in parameters predetermined by the user, determining if the identity of the sending mobile device is included in the opt-in parameters, and, if so, allowing the upload to the user'"'"'s account, otherwise blocking the upload. The opt-in parameters include the identity of mobile devices that are authorized by the user to upload data to the user'"'"'s account. In one embodiment, the communication link includes a wireless carrier network with capability for security screening of the upload message before it reaches the server based on the identity of the wireless carrier network.

Claims

1-49. -49. (canceled)

50. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server;

screening, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the network'"'"'s screening, the server further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by the user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the server;

accessing the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

obtaining the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determining whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the method further comprising:

parsing the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to it by the bearer of the wireless network.

53. The method as in claim 50, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

54. The method of claim 50, further comprising, if the upload is blocked, rerouting the upload message to a standard email address of the user.

55. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

if the sender'"'"'s mobile device is not identified in the opt-in parameters, prompting the user to indicate whether the user wants to add the sender'"'"'s mobile device identity to the opt-in parameters.

56. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program comprising:

program code to receive, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server;

program code to screen, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the network'"'"'s screening, program code to further screen, at the server, the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by the user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the program code to further screen comprising;

program code to access the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

program code to obtain the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

program code to determine whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.

57. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 56, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the program code further comprising:

program code to parse the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device.

58. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 56, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to it by the bearer of the wireless network.

59. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 56, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

60. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 56, the program code further comprising:

program code to, if the upload is blocked, reroute the upload message to a standard email address of the user.

61. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 56, the program code further comprising:

program code to, if the sender'"'"'s mobile device is not identified in the opt-in parameters, prompt the user to indicate whether the user wants to add the sender'"'"'s mobile device identity to the opt-in parameters.

62. A system comprising:

a server with a processor and a memory embodying a server-side program as a portion of a computer application;

a gateway of a wireless network, the gateway having a network address;

the wireless network communicatively linking a plurality of mobile devices and the gateway; and

a network hosting the server, the hosting network being different than the wireless network and providing an interface between the gateway and the server;

wherein the hosting network includes a networking service with a processor for executing and a memory for storing a network security program portion of the computer application with program code for causing the hosting network'"'"'s network service processor to security screen a sender'"'"'s upload message using the network address of the gateway to determine whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the hosting network'"'"'s screening, the server-side program further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for an account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the server-side program including program code for causing the processor in the server to;

access the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

obtain the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determine whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the network address of the gateway and the identity of the mobile device are included in the upload message, the computer application further comprising:

program code in the networking service program for causing the network security processor to parse the upload message to obtain the network address of the gateway; and

program code in the server-side program for causing the server to parse the upload message to identity of the mobile device.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone and the identity of the mobile device is a phone number assigned to it by the bearer of the wireless network.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein the gateway is a messaging gateway.

66. The system of claim 62, the computer application further comprising program code in both the server-side and networking security programs for causing the networking service and server processors, respectively, to reroute the upload message to a standard email address of the user if the upload is blocked.

67. The system of claim 62, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices includes a processor and a memory embodying a client-side program portion of the computer application with program code for causing such mobile device processor to establish a communication link from the sender'"'"'s mobile device to the user in order to prompt the user to indicate, on the user'"'"'s mobile device or personal computer, whether the user wants to add the sender'"'"'s mobile device identity to the opt-in parameters.

68. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server;

screening, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the screening performed by the hosting network, the hosting network forwarding the sender'"'"'s upload message to the server for further screening of the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device, the opt-in parameters comprising the identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time.

69. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server from a network hosting the server, an upload message from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message destined for an account on the server, the upload message being screened, at the hosting network, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, before the sender'"'"'s upload message is received at the server;

the server further screening the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the server;

accessing the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

obtaining the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determining whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.

70. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program comprising:

program code to receive, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server;

program code to screen, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the screening performed by the hosting network, program code to forward, by the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to the server for further screening of the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period, and an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device, the opt-in parameters comprising the identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time.

71. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program comprising:

program code to receive, at a server from a network hosting the server, an upload message from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server, the upload message being screened, at the hosting network, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, before the sender'"'"'s upload message is received at the server;

program code to further screen the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by s user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the program code to further screen comprising;

program code to access the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

program code to obtain the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

program code to determine whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.

72. A system comprising:

a network service comprising a processor and memory, the memory storing and the processor executing program code to;

receive, at a network hosting a server and from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network that is different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server;

screen, at the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message to determine, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, whether or not to block the sender'"'"'s upload message before the sender'"'"'s upload message reaches the server;

where the upload message is not blocked by the screening performed by the hosting network, forward the sender'"'"'s upload message to the server for further screening of the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period, and an identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device, the opt-in parameters comprising the identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time.

73. A system comprising:

a server on a hosting network, the server comprising a processor and memory, the memory storing and the processor executing program code to;

receive an upload message from a sender'"'"'s mobile device via the sender'"'"'s wireless network different than the hosting network, the sender'"'"'s upload message being destined for an account on the server, the upload message being screened, at the hosting network, using a network address of a gateway in the sender'"'"'s wireless network, before the sender'"'"'s upload message is received at the server;

further screen the sender'"'"'s upload message based on opt-in parameters predetermined by a user for the account that the sender'"'"'s upload message is destined, the program code to further screen comprising program code to;

access the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, the opt-in parameters comprising an identity of each mobile device authorized by the user to upload data to the account and a user-authorized limit number of upload messages for receipt by the user during a given period of time;

obtain the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

determine whether or not to allow upload of content associated with the sender'"'"'s upload message to the account using the user'"'"'s predetermined opt-in parameters, a number of upload messages received by the user during the given period and the identity of the sender'"'"'s mobile device.