Information security system for tracing the information outflow and a method for tracing the same

• US 6,009,526 A
• Filed: 09/12/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Waterwall Systems Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seung-Ryeol Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Seung-ryeol
• Primary Examiner(s): HUA, LY
• Application Number:
  US08/928,859
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 395/186, 395/187.01, 395/188.01, 395/184.01, 395/200.3, 395/200.33, 395/200.48, 395/200.51, 395/200.54, 395/200.57, 380/21, 380/23, 380/25, 380/4, 380/49, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

An information security system for tracing information outflow from a remotely accessible computer or computer network is disclosed. The system includes an internal communication system that has at least one internal computer for transmitting security information by tracing data through communication equipment, outputting the data to an external output means, and connecting the internal computer to an external network. A communication monitoring device stores information regarding the data that is to be transmitted by applying a security policy according to a security grade assigned to the destination to which the data is to be transmitted. The communication monitoring device is configured for extracting the identification of the destination from the transmitted data. It also includes a communication monitoring server for storing and displaying predetermined information about the data to be transmitted and for determining whether the tracing information is stored according to the security grade for the identified destination. A method of operating the disclosed system is also described.

Claims

1. An information security system for tracing information outflow, comprising:

an internal communication system which has internal computers for transmitting security information by tracing data through a communication equipment, outputting data to a predetermined external output means and connecting said internal computers to a predetermined external network; and

a communication monitoring device which stores a predetermined information regarding the data to be transmitted by applying an established security policy according to a security grade of a destination to which the data is to be transmitted by said internal computers, said security grade being classified into a same group, a cooperative group, or a competitive group according to a characteristic of the destination;

wherein, said communication monitoring device, comprises;

a destination extracting means for extracting the destination from the data to be transmitted; and

a communication monitoring server for storing and displaying said predetermined information about the data to be transmitted and determining whether the tracing information is stored according to said security grade for the extracted destination.

2. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined external network is a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

3. The information security system of claim 2, wherein said destination extracting means is a switch for connecting the internal computers to the (PSTN).

4. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined external network is an Internet.

5. The information security system of claim 4, wherein said destination extracting means is a packet filtering gateway for connecting said internal computers to said Internet.

6. The information security system of claim 1 wherein, according to said security policy, data is transmitted to the destination, when said security grade is classified in the same group;

the predetermined information regarding the data to be transmitted is stored/displayed in/on said communication monitoring server, when said security grade is classified in the cooperative group; and

the predetermined information regarding the data to be transmitted is stored/displayed in/on said communication monitoring server and false information is created and transmitted to the destination, when said security grade is classified in the competitive group.

7. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined information includes:

a time when the information outflow occurred;

details about a person who caused the outflow of the information;

a destination to which the information is transmitted; and

a name of a file containing the transmitted information.

8. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined external output means is an external storage means equipped with a portable storage medium.

9. The information security system of claim 8, wherein said external storage means is a floppy disk drive.

10. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined external output means is an output means which outputs data using a printable medium.

11. The information security system of claim 1, wherein said output means is a printer.

12. An information security method for tracing an information outflow in a security system having a monitoring server for connecting an internal computer in an internal network to an external network, comprising the steps of:

storing information about a changed hardware by sensing the change of a hardware of said internal computer;

transmitting the stored information about the changed hardware to said monitoring server when a communication is established between said internal computer and said monitoring server;

storing information about an output operation when a communication is not established between said internal computer and said monitoring server and the information outflow is generated from the internal computer;

determining whether an information outflow operation is generated in said internal computer, after transmitting the information about the changed hardware to said monitoring server;

detecting a destination to which data is transmitted, when the information outflow operation is performed by a communication means;

acquiring a security grade corresponding to the detected destination, said security grade being classified into a same group, a cooperative group, or a competitive group according to a characteristic of the destination;

transmitting data according to said acquired security grade; and

transmitting data on the information outflow to said monitoring server, when the information outflow operation is performed by said communication means.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of storing the output operation information comprises, the steps of:

determining whether the information output operation is generated from said internal computer;

detecting the destination to which the data is transmitted, when the information output operation is performed by a communication means;

acquiring said security grade corresponding to the detected destination;

transmitting the data to the destination to which the data is to be transmitted, when said acquired security grade is classified in the same group;

transmitting the data to the destination after storing/displaying the predetermined information about the data to be transmitted in/on said monitoring server, when said acquired security grade is classified in the cooperative group;

transmitting the data to the destination by creating false information after storing/displaying the predetermined information about the data to be transmitted in/on said monitoring server, when said acquired security grade is classified in the competitive group; and

storing the information about the information output operation in said internal computer, when the information output operation is performed by said predetermined external output means.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication means is a modem.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said predetermined external output means is an external storage means equipped with a portable storage medium.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said external storage means is a floppy disk drive.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said predetermined external output means is an output means which outputs data using a printable medium.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said output means is a printer.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of transmitting data comprises the steps of:

transmitting the data to the destination to which the data is transmitted, when said acquired security grade is classified in the same group;

transmitting the data to the destination after storing/displaying the predetermined information about the data to be transmitted in/on said monitoring server, when said acquired security grade is classified in the cooperative group; and

transmitting the data to the destination by creating false information after storing/displaying the predetermined information about the data to be transmitted in/on said monitoring server, when said acquired security grade is classified in the competitive group.

20. The method of claim 13 or claim 19, wherein said predetermined information includes:

a time when the information outflow occurred;

details about a person who caused the outflow of the information;

a destination to which the information is transmitted; and

a name of a file containing the transmitted information.