METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILE ASSURANCE
First Claim
1. A system for facilitating file assurance, the system comprising:
- a data inserter configured to insert data into a native file to create a modified native file, wherein an application associated with the native file may read the native file and is unable to read the modified native file;
a tracker configured to access tracking information associated with a secure file;
a file access module configured to associate one or more file access restrictions that restrict access to the secure file;
a secure file creator configured to create the secure file based, at least in part, on the modified native file, the tracking information, and the one or more file access restrictions; and
a file distributor configured to distribute the secure file to a computing system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and associated processes for file assurance. A user may use the system to maintain control over a file that is distributed to another user. The user may specify a number of file access options, such as read-only, report distribution, or track edits. The system may encrypt the file with the file access options included. The file may be altered so as to make the file no longer readable by an application designed to read the file without the system, or a corresponding system associated with the recipient user. The system or corresponding system may enforce the file access options selected by the user. Further, in some embodiments, the system may report the occurrence of file access or the performance of specific operations on the file to the user.
22 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A system for facilitating file assurance, the system comprising:
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a data inserter configured to insert data into a native file to create a modified native file, wherein an application associated with the native file may read the native file and is unable to read the modified native file; a tracker configured to access tracking information associated with a secure file; a file access module configured to associate one or more file access restrictions that restrict access to the secure file; a secure file creator configured to create the secure file based, at least in part, on the modified native file, the tracking information, and the one or more file access restrictions; and a file distributor configured to distribute the secure file to a computing system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for facilitating file assurance, the system comprising:
a file access control system configured to receive a secure file from a first user and to regulate a second user'"'"'s access to the secure file, the file access control system comprising; a native file extractor configured to extract a native file from the secure file; a file access module configured to restrict the second user'"'"'s access to the native file based on a set of file access restrictions associated with the secure file and to access the native file when authorized by the file access restrictions using an application associated with the native file; and a tracker configured to provide an alert the first user in response to the second user accessing the secure file or the native file. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for facilitating file assurance, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a native file; receiving one or more file access restrictions; receiving one or more tracking options; creating an inaccessible native file by rendering the native file inaccessible to an application associated with the native file; generating a composite file based on the inaccessible native file, the one or more tracking options, and the one or more file access restrictions; and encrypting the composite file. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for facilitating file assurance, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a secure file; decrypting the secure file to create a composite file; accessing a set of tracking restrictions associated with the composite file; alerting a first user of access by a second user of the composite file based, at least in part, on the set of tracking restrictions; receiving a file access command from the second user; accessing a set of file access restrictions associated with the composite file; determining if the file access command is permitted based on the set of file access restrictions; rejecting the file access command if the file access command is not permitted; and
extracting a modified native file from the secure file if the file access command is permitted, wherein the modified native file is based on a native file configured to be read by an application, and wherein the modified native file is unreadable by the application;converting the modified native file to a readable native file capable of being read by the application; and executing the file access command on the readable native file using the application. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for facilitating file assurance, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a secure file including a native file from a first user; receiving an access request from a second user to access the secure file; alerting the first user of the access request by the second user; determining if the access request is permitted based on a set of file access restrictions associated with the secure file; and if the file access command is permitted; extracting a copy of the native file from the secure file without opening or modifying the native file with an application for accessing the native file; and executing a file access command on the copy of the native file using the application. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification