Security Classification Applying Social Norming

• US 20120198568A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Tamer E., Handy-Bosma, John H., Ravin, Yael, Morrison, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for security classification applying social norming. More specifically, content is received from a user via an interface; and, a data repository connected to the interface stores the content. A portal connected to the data repository identifies an attempt to access the content from a non-user. A program processor connected to the portal determines whether the content includes a security classification. When the content does not include a security classification, a communications module connected to the program processor sends an alert to the user. The alert includes a request to assign a security classification to the content. When the content includes a security classification, the communications module sends a message to the user, wherein the message includes a request to verify the security classification.

Claims

1. A method for content management, said method including:

receiving content from a user;

storing the received content in a data repository;

identifying an attempt to access the content from a non-user;

determining whether the content includes a security classification; and

sending an alert to the user when the content does not include a security classification, the alert including a request to assign a security classification to the content.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including permitting access to the content by the non-user when the content includes a security classification.

3. The method according to claim 2, further including denying access to the content by the non-user when the content does not include a security classification.

4. The method according to claim 2, further including, when the content does not include a security classification, at least one of denying access to the content by the non-user and hiding the content from the non-user after a threshold number of attempts to access the content is reached.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including permitting access to the content by the non-user when the content does not include a security classification and the non-user is a requester, wherein the requester at least one of has a threshold security clearance level and has been previously granted access to second content of the user.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including hiding presence of the content from the non-user in the data repository when the content does not include a security classification.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including sending a message to the user when the content includes a security classification, the message including a request to verify the security classification in response to the attempt to access the content by the non-user.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including at least one of denying access to the content by the non-user and hiding the content from the non-user until the security classification is verified by the user.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including defining at least one select non-user, wherein the alert is only sent to the user when the attempt to access the content is made by the select non-user.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including validating an assigned security classification, said validating including comparing a date that the assigned security classification was established with a date that the content was last updated.

11. The method according to claim 1, further including:

generating a list of users that have sent content to be stored in the data repository and have not assigned a security classification to the content to be stored in the data repository; and

permitting access to the list to at least one of the users'"'"' peers, the users'"'"' supervisors, and the users.

12. A method for content management, said method including:

receiving content from a user;

storing the received content in a data repository;

identifying an attempt to access the content from a non-user;

determining whether the content includes a security classification;

sending an alert to the user when the content does not include a security classification, the alert including a request to assign a security classification to the content; and

sending a message to the user when the content includes a security classification, the message including a request to verify the security classification.

13. The system according to claim 12, further including:

generating a list of users that have sent content to be stored in the data repository and have not assigned a security classification to the content to be stored in the data repository; and

permitting access to the list to at least one of the users'"'"' peers, the users'"'"' supervisors, and the users.

14. A system for content management, said system including:

an interface for receiving content from a user;

a data repository connected to said interface for storing the received content;

a portal connected to said data repository, said portal identifies an attempt to access the content by a non-user;

a program processor connected to said portal, said program processor determines whether the content includes a security classification; and

a communications module connected to said program processor, said communications module sends an alert to the user when the content does not include a security classification, the alert including a request to assign a security classification to the content.

15. The system according to claim 14, further including a security module connected to said portal, said security module permits access to the content by the non-user when the content includes a security classification.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said security module denies access to the content by the non-user when the content does not include a security classification.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said security module, when the content does not include a security classification, at least one of denies access to the content by the non-user and hides the content from the non-user after a threshold number of attempts to access the content is reached.

18. The system according to claim 14, further including a security module connected to said portal, said security module permits access to the content by the non-user when the content does not include a security classification and the non-user is a requester, wherein the requester at least one of has a threshold security clearance level and has been previously granted access to second content of the user.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein said portal hides a presence of the content from the non-user in said data repository when the content does not include a security classification.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein said communications module sends a message to the user when the content includes a security classification, the message including a request to verify the security classification in response to the attempt to access the content by the non-user.

21. The system according to claim 20, further including a security module connected to said portal, said security module at least one of denies access to the content by the non-user and hides the content from the non-user until the security classification is verified by the user.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein said communications module only sends the alert to the user when the attempt to access the content is made by a select non-user.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein said program processor validates an assigned security classification by comparing a date that the assigned security classification was established with a date that the content was last updated.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein said program processor:

generates a list of users that have sent content to be stored in said data repository and have not assigned a security classification to the content to be stored in said data repository; and

permits access to the list to at least one of the users'"'"' peers, the users'"'"' supervisors, and the users.

25. A computer program product for content management, said computer program product including:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive content from a user;

second program instructions to store the received content in a data repository;

third program instructions to identify an attempt to access the content from a non-user;

fourth program instructions to determine whether the content includes a security classification; and

fifth program instructions to send an alert to the user when the content does not include a security classification, the alert including a request to assign a security classification to the content,

said first program instructions, said second program instructions, said third program instructions, said fourth program instructions, and said fifth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium.