DETECTING, CLASSIFYING, AND ENFORCING POLICIES ON SOCIAL NETWORKING ACTIVITY

• US 20200133969A1
• Filed: 12/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proofpoint Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proofpoint Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutton, Richard Banks, Dorie, Anthony Lawrence, Yan, Wenchang, Redmond, Devin Hugh, Kruck, Raymond, Nadir, Daniel Oshiro
• Granted Patent: US 11,036,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Technology is disclosed for detecting, classifying, and/or enforcing policies on social networking activity. The technology can store a content policy, classify content posted to a social network, determine that the classification corresponds to the content policy, and apply an action specified by the content policy to the posted content.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device to detect, classify, or enforce policies on social networking activity, the method comprising:

objectively classifying content posted from a managed social account to a plurality of accounts across disparate social networking platforms, wherein the managed social account is associated with the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms, and wherein the objectively classifying the content posted from the managed social account to the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms further comprises;

performing at least one of a text analysis or an image analysis of the content; and

generating a classification of the content based on the at least one of the text analysis or the image analysis of the content;

determining a content policy based at least on the classification of the content from the objectively classifying, the content policy stored in a policy database accessible by the computing device, wherein the content policy specifies at least one action; and

applying the at least one action specified by the content policy to the content without user input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content policy is associated with the classification, with the managed social account, or with a user of the managed social account.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the disparate social networking platforms, performing a routine comprising;

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account;

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

invoking the routing at scheduled time intervals, at random time intervals, upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account has been uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms, or upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account is about to be uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the retrieving utilizes an application programming interface of the social networking platform.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

stored instructions translatable by the processor for;

objectively classifying content posted from a managed social account to a plurality of accounts across disparate social networking platforms, wherein the managed social account is associated with the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms, and wherein the objectively classifying the content posted from the managed social account to the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms further comprises;

performing at least one of a text analysis or an image analysis of the content; and

generating a classification of the content based on the at least one of the text analysis or the image analysis of the content;

determining a content policy based at least on the classification of the content from the objectively classifying, the content policy stored in a policy database, wherein the content policy specifies at least one action; and

applying the at least one action specified by the content policy to the content without user input.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the content policy is associated with the classification, with the managed social account, or with a user of the managed social account.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

for each of the disparate social networking platforms, performing a routine comprising;

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account;

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

invoking the routing at scheduled time intervals, at random time intervals, upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account has been uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms, or upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account is about to be uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the retrieving utilizes an application programming interface of the social networking platform.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions translatable by a processor for:

objectively classifying content posted from a managed social account to a plurality of accounts across disparate social networking platforms, wherein the managed social account is associated with the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms, and wherein the objectively classifying the content posted from the managed social account to the plurality of accounts across the disparate social networking platforms further comprises;

performing at least one of a text analysis or an image analysis of the content; and

generating a classification of the content based on the at least one of the text analysis or the image analysis of the content;

determining a content policy based at least on the classification of the content from the objectively classifying, the content policy stored in a policy database, wherein the content policy specifies at least one action; and

applying the at least one action specified by the content policy to the content without user input.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the content policy is associated with the classification, with the managed social account, or with a user of the managed social account.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

for each of the disparate social networking platforms, performing a routine comprising;

selecting a social networking platform from the disparate social networking platforms associated with the managed social account or with a user of the managed social account;

retrieving content from the social networking platform, the content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account;

classifying the content retrieved from the social networking platform;

determining a policy for the content based on the classifying;

applying the policy to the content retrieved from the social networking platform; and

taking an action specified by the policy without user input.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

invoking the routing at scheduled time intervals, at random time intervals, upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account has been uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms, or upon detection that new content associated with the managed social account or with the user of the managed social account is about to be uploaded to one of the disparate social networking platforms.