Controlling access to web content

• US 20120173699A1
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Inventors: NIEMELÄ, Jarno
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method of controlling access to web content at a client computer. The method includes registering an access control status at the client computer, and detecting an attempt to access a website having an access control mechanism. In response to such detection, the access attempt is suspended and said access control status registered at the client computer compared with an access control status currently registered at the website. If these do not correspond, then the access control status registered at the website is changed to correspond with that registered at the client computer.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to web content at a client computer, the method comprising:

registering an access control status at the client computer;

detecting an attempt to access a website having an access control mechanism and, in response, suspending the access attempt and comparing said access control status registered at the client computer with an access control status currently registered at the website and, if these do not correspond, then changing the access control status registered at the website to correspond with that registered at the client computer.

2. A method according to claim 1 and comprising providing at the client computer a list of web addresses, each address corresponding to a website having an access control mechanism allowing access to certain content to be controlled, said step of detecting an attempt to access a website having an access control mechanism comprising comparing a web address associated with the access attempt against web addresses in said list.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of detecting an attempt to access a website comprises intercepting outgoing http requests.

4. A method according to claim 1 and comprising applying the method on a per user profile basis, where the or each user profile implemented at the client computer is associated with an access control status registered at the client computer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of comparing an access control status registered at the client computer with an access control status currently registered at the website comprises downloading from the website to the client computer a webpage indicating the access control status currently registered at the website, and checking the value of a status field within that webpage.

6. A method according to claim 5 and comprising maintaining an address of said webpage at the client computer, mapped to the corresponding web address in said list.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of changing the access control status registered at the website to correspond with that registered at the client computer comprises downloading from the website a status change webpage allowing the setting of the parental control status registered at the website and submitting a change request using said status change webpage.

8. A method according to claim 5 and comprising maintaining an address of said status change webpage at the client computer and instructions for making a status change, mapped to the corresponding web address in said list.

9. A method according to claim 1 and comprising maintaining at the client computer a list of addresses for websites having access control mechanisms against which access requests are compared, and further maintaining instructions, for each such website, for checking and altering that access control status of the website.

10. A method according to claim 1 and comprising, following the changing of an access control status registered at the website, subsequently returning that status to its original state following the termination of a browsing session.

11. A method according to claim 10 and comprising, following the changing of an access control status registered at the website, subsequently preventing further changes to that status at least for the duration of the browsing session.

12. A computer readable memory storing a computer program for causing a client computer to control access to web content at the client computer, the computer program causing the client computer to:

register an access control status at the client computer;

detect an attempt to access a website having an access control mechanism and, in response, suspend the access attempt and compare said access control status registered at the client computer with an access control status currently registered at the website and, if these do not correspond, to then change the access control status registered at the website to correspond with that registered at the client.

13. A computer configured to operate as a client computer to provide a user with access to web content over the Internet, the computer comprising:

a registration unit for registering an access control status; and

a monitoring unit for detecting an attempt to access a website having an access control mechanism and, in response, for suspending the access attempt and comparing said access control status registered at the client computer with an access control status currently registered at the website and, if these do not correspond, then changing the access control status registered at the website to correspond with that registered at the client computer.