VERIFYING AGE AND INTEGRITY OF WEBSITE PAGES

• US 20130282678A1
• Filed: 04/28/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Kelce S. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Kelce S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/03 Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/50, monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/12 Usage or charge determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which enable the establishment of file dates and the absence of tampering, even for documents held in secrecy and those stored in uncontrolled environments, but which does not require trusting a timestamping authority or document archival service. A trusted timestamping authority (TTSA) may be used, but even if the TTSA loses credibility or a challenger refuses to acknowledge the validity of a timestamp, a date for an electronic document may still be established. Systems and methods are disclosed which enable detection of file duplication in large collections of documents, which can improve searching for documents within the large collection.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of verifying age and integrity of a visited website page, the method executable by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the page into a non-transitory computer readable medium in a computing resource from across a public computer network;

identifying a claimed date associated with the page;

generating a first integrity verification code (IVC) for the page;

selecting a closed a document dating list (DDL) edition in which to search for an IVC matching the first IVC, wherein a closing date of the DDL edition corresponds to the claimed date;

searching, within the closed DDL edition, for the matching IVC; and

responsive to identifying the matching IVC within the closed DDL edition, generating a report indicating to a user of the computing resource that the claimed date has been verified.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at least a portion of the page comprises receiving at least a portion of a hypertext mark-up language (html) document.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a first IVC for the page comprises generating a modified IVC using modification rules applied to elements in the page that are not printably determinable.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein searching, within the closed DDL edition, for the matching IVC comprises:

receiving an asserted IVC;

comparing the asserted IVC with the first IVC; and

responsive to determining that the first IVC matches the asserted IVC, searching within the closed DDL edition for an IVC that matches both the first IVC and the asserted IVC.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving an asserted IVC comprises receiving a record index number that indicates a position, within the closed DDL, of a DDL record that comprises an IVC.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the IVCs are each 168 characters in length.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating an IVC comprises generating a hash function message digest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing resource requests that a trusted intermediary (TI), located across the public computer network, perform at least one task selected from the list consisting of:

generating an IVC and searching within the closed DDL.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing resource requests that a trusted intermediary (TI), located across the public computer network, validate a date for the closed DDL.

10. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to be executed by a processor, the program comprising:

code for receiving at least a portion of the page into a non-transitory computer readable medium in a computing resource from across a public computer network;

code for identifying a claimed date associated with the page;

code for generating a first integrity verification code (IVC) for the page;

code for selecting a closed a document dating list (DDL) edition in which to search for an IVC matching the first IVC, wherein a closing date of the DDL edition corresponds to the claimed date;

code for searching, within the closed DDL edition, for the matching IVC; and

code for generating a report indicating to a user of the computing resource that the claimed date has been verified, responsive to identifying the matching IVC within the closed DDL edition.

11. The program of claim 10 wherein the code for generating a first (IVC) for the page comprises code for generating a modified IVC using modification rules applied to elements in the page that are not printably determinable.

12. The program of claim 10 wherein the code for searching, within the closed DDL edition, for the matching IVC comprises:

code for receiving an asserted IVC;

code for comparing the asserted IVC with the first IVC; and

code for searching within the closed DDL edition for an IVC that matches both the first IVC and the asserted IVC, responsive to determining that the first IVC matches the asserted IVC.

13. The program of claim 10 wherein the code for receiving an asserted IVC comprises code for receiving a record index number that indicates a position, within the closed DDL, of a DDL record that comprises an IVC.

14. The program of claim 10 wherein the code for generating an IVC comprises code for generating a hash function message digest.

15. An apparatus for verifying age and integrity of a visited website page, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

a website page dating logic, the logic comprising;

logic for receiving at least a portion of the page into the non-transitory computer readable medium from across a public computer network;

logic for identifying a claimed date associated with the page;

logic for generating a first integrity verification code (IVC) for the page;

logic for selecting a closed a document dating list (DDL) edition in which to search for an IVC matching the first IVC, wherein a closing date of the DDL edition corresponds to the claimed date;

logic for searching, within the closed DDL edition, for the matching IVC; and

logic for generating a report indicating to a user of the apparatus that the claimed date has been verified, responsive to identifying the matching IVC within the closed DDL edition.