SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SECURELY SUBMITTING COMMENTS AMONG USERS VIA EXTERNAL MESSAGING APPLICATIONS IN A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM

• US 20140013104A1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Vinnik, Natalia, Byron, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,712,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for facilitating secure commenting on content items among collaborators via external messaging applications in a collaborative cloud-based environment. In one embodiment, the system receives a response to a notification associated with a content item from a collaborator via an external messaging application. The response can include a text-based comment associated with the content item and secure message information provided by the notification including a message and a message authentication code. The system then determines a validity of the response. The validity of the response can include verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating secure commenting on content items among collaborators via external messaging applications in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving a response to a notification associated with a content item from a collaborator via an external messaging application,

wherein the response includes a text-based comment associated with the content item and secure message information provided by the notification including a message and a message authentication code; and

determining a validity of the response,

wherein determining the validity of the response includes verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting the text-based comment associated with the content item in the cloud-based environment if the response is valid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code further comprises:

extracting the message and the message authentication code from the response;

generating a new message authentication code based on the message; and

comparing the new message authentication code with the message authentication code to verify the integrity of the message, wherein the integrity of the message is verified if the new authentication code is the same as the message authentication code.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending the notification associated with the content item to the collaborator via the external messaging application,

wherein the notification includes the message information including the message and the message authentication code associated with the message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a notification trigger;

determining a user identifier and a content identifier associated with the notification trigger, wherein the user identifier indicates the collaborator and an the item identifier indicates the content item;

generating the message by concatenating the user identifier and the content identifier; and

generating the message authentication code based on the message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the message authentication code and the new message authentication code based on the message further comprises:

accessing a secret integrity key; and

applying a deterministic hashing algorithm to the message using the secret integrity key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the deterministic hashing algorithm comprises a keyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the validity of the response further comprises:

accessing permissions associated with the content item; and

verifying that the collaborator is authorized to comment on the content item based on the permissions, wherein the response is valid if the collaborator is authorized to comment on the content item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a user identifier associated with the collaborator, an item identifier associated with the content item, and a timestamp.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the validity of the response further comprises:

determining an age of the notification using the timestamp; and

verifying that the age of the notification does not exceed a threshold, wherein the response is not valid if the age of the notification exceeds the threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a user identifier associated with the collaborator and an item identifier associated with the content item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the external messaging application comprises email.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the external messaging application comprises SMS.

14. A method of facilitating secure commenting on content items among collaborators via external messaging applications in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving a response to a notification associated with a content item from a collaborator via an external messaging application,

wherein the response includes a text-based comment associated with the content item and secure message information provided by the notification including a message and a message authentication code; and

determining a validity of the response,

wherein determining the validity of the response includes verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code by;

extracting and decoding a response header from the response, the response header including the message and the message authentication code,

descrambling the response header using an encryption key to identify the message and the message authentication code,

extracting the message and generating a new message authentication code based on the message using an integrity key, and

comparing the message authentication code to the new message authentication code to verify the integrity of the message.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

submitting the text-based comment associated with the content item in the cloud-based environment if the response is valid.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the integrity of the message is verified if the new authentication code is the same as the message authentication code.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating the notification associated with the content item responsive to a notification trigger; and

sending the notification to the collaborator via the external messaging application,

wherein the notification includes the message information including the message and the message authentication code associated with the message.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the notification trigger;

determining a user identifier and a content identifier associated with the notification trigger, wherein the user identifier indicates the collaborator and an the item identifier indicates the content item;

generating the message by concatenating the user identifier and the content identifier; and

generating the message authentication code using the message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the message authentication code or the new message authentication code based on the message further comprises:

accessing a secret integrity key; and

applying a deterministic hashing algorithm to the message using the secret integrity key.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the deterministic hashing algorithm comprises a keyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC).

21. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the validity of the response further comprises:

accessing permissions associated with the content item; and

verifying that the collaborator is authorized to comment on the content item based on the permissions, wherein the response is valid if the collaborator is authorized to comment on the content item.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the message comprises a user identifier associated with the collaborator, an item identifier associated with the content item, and a timestamp.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the validity of the response further comprises:

determining an age of the notification using the timestamp; and

verifying that the age of the notification does not exceed a threshold, wherein the response is not valid if the age of the notification exceeds the threshold.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the external messaging application comprises an email or SMS.

25. A collaboration system for facilitating secure commenting on content items among collaborators via external messaging applications in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor, causes the collaboration system to;

determine a validity of a response to a notification associated with a content item received from a collaborator via an external messaging application,

wherein the response includes a text-based comment associated with the content item and secure message information provided by the notification including a message and a message authentication code; and

wherein determining the validity of the response includes verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code.

26. The collaboration system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to:

submit the text-based comment associated with the content item in the cloud-based environment if the response is valid.

27. The collaboration system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to:

send the notification associated with the content item to the collaborator via the external messaging application,

wherein the notification includes the message information including the message and the message authentication code associated with the message.

28. The collaboration system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to:

receive a notification trigger;

determine a user identifier and a content identifier associated with the notification trigger, wherein the user identifier indicates the collaborator and an the item identifier indicates the content item;

generate the message by concatenating the user identifier and the content identifier; and

generate the message authentication code based on the message.

29. The collaboration system of claim 28, wherein generating the message authentication code and the new message authentication code based on the message further comprises:

accessing a secret integrity key; and

applying a deterministic hashing algorithm to the message using the secret integrity key.

30. The collaboration system of claim 29, wherein the deterministic hashing algorithm comprises a keyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC).

31. A machine-readable storage medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

determine a validity of a response to a notification associated with a content item received from a collaborator via an external messaging application,

wherein the response includes a text-based comment associated with the content item and secure message information provided by the notification including a message and a message authentication code; and

wherein determining the validity of the response includes verifying the integrity of the message using the message authentication code.