FILE FILTER

• US 20170180424A1
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Steinke, Mark E., Hardee, Christopher J., Matteson, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,237,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

Method for transferring files to a destination folder on a computer. At least one rule to a transfer of files to a destination folder on a destination computer system are received. A filter file is generated, wherein the filter file includes the least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder. During transfer of files to the destination folder on the destination computer, attributes of each file are compared to the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder. Upon attributes of a compared file violating a rule of the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder, transfer of the violating file to the destination folder is prevented.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request to transfer files from a source to a destination folder on a destination computer;

accessing a filter file that includes at least one file transfer rule;

responsive to the request, comparing attributes of each file to the at least one file transfer rule; and

upon attributes of a compared file violating the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder, preventing transfer of the violating file to the destination folder.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one user input related to the at least one rule specific to a transfer of files to a destination folder on a destination computer system; and

generating the filter file, wherein the filter file includes the least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon the compared file violating a rule of the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder, outputting for display an alert message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the message identifies the rule of the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files to the destination folder that the compared file violates.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first copy of the generated filter file is stored with the files to be transferred to the destination folder, wherein a second copy of the generated filter file is stored in the destination folder, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the first copy of the generated filter file to the second copy of the filter file; and

upon the first copy of the generated filter file and the second copy of the generated filter file matching, commencing transfer of the files to the destination folder.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the first copy of the generated filter file is stored in a copy folder, wherein the method further comprises:

during transfer of files to the copy folder, comparing each file to the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files; and

upon a compared file violating a rule of the at least one rule specific to the transfer of files, preventing transfer of the violating file to the copy folder.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the copy folder is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and wherein the method further comprises rendering a portion of the computer-readable storage medium unused by the copy folder unwritable after the files have been transferred to the copy folder.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule specific to transfer of files to the destination folder includes at least one of:

a file size rule;

a file type rule;

a file virus scan status;

a file creation date rule;

a file modification date rule;

a file name rule;

a file password control rule;

a file creator rule;

a file permissions rule; and

a file class rule.