System and Method for Secure Communications

• US 20110208960A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Flood, Kevin Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Encryption of electronic messages may be automatically processed by a messaging system based on keywords or other attributes of the messages. In one example, if the message includes a predefined keyword, the messaging system may automatically encrypt the message for all recipients outside of a private network. In another example, the messaging system may automatically encrypt messages based on recipient address. Thus, if a recipient is on a list of addresses to which encryption applies, the message being sent to that particular recipient may be encrypted while a copy of the message being sent to other recipients not on the list might remain unencrypted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a financial institution communication system, whether to perform an encryption process for an electronic communication including determining whether the electronic communication includes an indicator specifying that the electronic communication is to be encrypted;

in response to determining that the encryption process is to be performed for the electronic communication, determining, by the financial institution communication system, a first recipient address of the electronic communication;

determining whether the first recipient address is external to an internal financial institution network; and

in response to determining that the first recipient address is external to the internal financial institution network, encrypting at least a portion of a message of the electronic communication prior to sending the electronic communication to the first recipient address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second recipient address of the electronic communication;

determining whether the second recipient address is internal to the internal financial institution network; and

in response to determining that the second recipient address is internal to the internal financial institution network, transmitting the electronic communication to the second recipient address without encrypting the at least a portion of the message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes one or more characters in a subject line of the electronic communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting the message includes requiring a recipient corresponding to the first recipient address to login prior to viewing the at least a portion of the message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein another portion of the message remains unencrypted and provides instructions for viewing the encrypted at least a portion of the message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the encrypted at least a portion of the message on a network accessible location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to perform the encryption process includes determining whether the electronic communication includes an encryption process override attribute.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a keyword in the electronic communication.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

determine whether to perform an encryption process for an electronic communication including determining whether the electronic communication includes an indicator specifying that the electronic communication is to be encrypted;

in response to determining that the encryption process is to be performed for the electronic communication, determine a first recipient address of the electronic communication;

determine whether the first recipient address is external to an internal financial institution network; and

in response to determining that the first recipient address is external to the internal financial institution network, encrypt at least a portion of a message of the electronic communication prior to sending the electronic communication to the first recipient address.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a second recipient address of the electronic communication;

determine whether the second recipient address is internal to the internal financial institution network; and

in response to determining that the second recipient address is internal to the internal financial institution network, transmit the electronic communication to the second recipient address without encrypting the at least a portion of the message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein another portion of the message remains unencrypted and provides instructions for viewing the encrypted at least a portion of the message.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to store the encrypted at least a portion of the message on a network accessible location.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein determining whether to perform the encryption process includes determining whether the electronic communication includes an encryption process override attribute.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the indicator comprises a keyword in the electronic communication.

15. One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

determine whether to perform an encryption process for an electronic communication including determining whether the electronic communication includes an indicator specifying that the electronic communication is to be encrypted;

in response to determining that the encryption process is to be performed for the electronic communication, determine a first recipient address of the electronic communication;

determine whether the first recipient address is external to an internal financial institution network; and

in response to determining that the first recipient address is external to the internal financial institution network, encrypt at least a portion of a message of the electronic communication prior to sending the electronic communication to the first recipient address.

16. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to store the encrypted at least a portion of the message on a network accessible location.

17. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein determining whether to perform the encryption process includes determining whether the electronic communication includes an encryption process override attribute.

18. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the indicator comprises a keyword in the electronic communication.

19. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the encrypted at least a portion of the message is included in the electronic communication as an attachment.

20. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein encryption of the at least a portion of the message includes password-protecting the at least a portion of the message.