COMPUTERIZED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING SECURE CONTENT SHARING IN A NETWORKED SECURE COLLABORATIVE EXCHANGE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130318589A1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ford, Christopher, Callison, Wade, Siddiqui, Fahim
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for securely sharing computer data content that allows for the secure un-sharing of the content. The facility to un-share content may be implemented through a secure exchange server, where the content is being shared along with a secure protection feature that when altered results in the un-sharing of the content. This secure un-sharing facility may be used to securely share content beyond the secure protective facilities of an enterprise, out to users in other companies, into the public space, to users not intended to get the content, and the like, where the sender maintains control to access of the content no matter where or to who the content has been distributed. In this way, the secure sharing of content is made to be easy across corporate boundaries at the user level and at the individual document level.

Claims

1. A method for managing a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, the method comprising:

establishing, by a secure exchange server managed by an intermediate business entity, a user login data authentication procedure that allows a user through at least one client computing device to access the secure exchange server, wherein the user is one of a plurality of users of a plurality of other business entities and communications between the secure exchange server and the plurality of users is through a communications network;

storing, by the secure exchange server, at least one user login authentication data for at least one of the plurality of users;

receiving a computer data content from a first of the plurality of users, wherein the first of the plurality of users permits a sharing access to the computer data content to at least a second of the plurality of users, and wherein management for access to the computer data content is through an exchange content access facility managed by the intermediate business entity;

granting, by the secure exchange server, sharing access to the computer data content to the at least second of the plurality of users when the secure exchange server receives from the second of the plurality of users its client login authentication data provided that the second of the plurality of users is one of the subset of the plurality of users to which sharing access is permitted;

receiving a request from the at least second of the plurality of users to access a copy of the computer data content;

granting, by the secure exchange server, the copy access request to the at least second of the plurality of users, wherein a copy of the computer data content is made;

receiving from the first of the plurality of users a request to revoke sharing access to the computer data content to the at least second of the plurality of users;

revoking, by the secure exchange server, sharing access to the computer data content to the at least second of the plurality of users; and

deleting access, by the secure exchange server, to the copy of the computer data content made by the at least second of the plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising additional sharing of the computer data content within the plurality of users, wherein the revoking of sharing access to the computer data content revokes access to all instances of the shared computer data content and all copies of the computer data content made by the plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy of the computer data content is stored on the secure data server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the copy of the computer data content is deleted from the secure data server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the deleting access to the computer data content makes the computer data content inaccessible to the at least the second of the plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy of the computer data content is stored on a client computing device by the at least second of the plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the deleting access to the copy of the computer data content is revocation of digital rights management of the computer data content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the revocation of the digital rights management of the computer data content is made by the first of the plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data content is at least one of a word processor document, a spreadsheet document, and a presentation document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data content is at least one of an email, a text, and a blog entry.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data content is a multimedia file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data content is a secure encrypted computer data content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data content is viewed by the at least second of the plurality of client users through a secure viewing facility.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least second of the plurality of users is connected to a public network that is outside of the firewall for the business entity that manages the first or second of the plurality of users.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least second of the plurality of users accesses the computer data content through a personal computing device that is not owned by the business entity that manages the at least second of the plurality of users.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least second of the plurality of users accesses the computer data content through a mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchange content access facility is interfaced through a dashboard facility accessible though at least the first of the plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dashboard facility provides reports showing activity related the sharing of computer data content.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the dashboard facility is accessible through third-party environments.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the dashboard facility tracks the location and version of the shared computer data content on computing devices accessible by the at least second of the plurality of users.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

22. A method for managing a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, the method comprising:

establishing, by a secure exchange server managed by an intermediate business entity, a user login data authentication procedure that allows a user through at least one client computing device to access the secure exchange server, wherein the user is one of a plurality of users of a plurality of other business entities and communications between the secure exchange server and the plurality of users is through a communications network;

storing, by the secure exchange server, at least one user login authentication data for each of the plurality of users;

receiving a computer data content from a first of the plurality of users, wherein the first of the plurality of users permits a sharing access to the computer data content to a subset of the plurality of users, and wherein management for access to the computer data content is through an exchange content access facility managed by the intermediate business entity;

granting, by the secure exchange server, sharing access to the computer data content to individuals within the subset of the plurality of users when the secure exchange server receives from the individuals their client login authentication data;

receiving a request from at least a second of the plurality of users to access a copy of the computer data content;

granting, by the secure exchange server, the copy access request to the at least second of the plurality of users, wherein a copy of the computer data content is made;

receiving from the first of the plurality of users a request to revoke sharing access to the computer data content to the subset of the plurality of users; and

revoking, by the secure exchange server, sharing access to all instances of the computer data content to the subset of the plurality of users.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the revoking of shared access to all instances of the computer data content is revoking shared access to all instances of the computer data content on all computer devices that the subset of the plurality of users have stored the computer data content.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the stored computer data content is a copy of the computer data content.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the stored computer data content is an annotated version of the computer data content.