Web site identity assurance

• US 7,552,466 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DigiCert Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GeoTrust, Inc. (VeriSign, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harrison, John, Creighton, Neal L., Remy, David L., Rosenberg, Jonathan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITHERS, MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US11/506,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 713/157
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for providing a user with confirmation of the origin of a Web site and related information including the steps of registering a Web site with an assuring third party, saving the registration on a registration server, entering in a database the Web site'"'"'s Internet domain name and cross-referencing it to the registration data, retrieving the Web site'"'"'s domain with an Internet browser, and either (1) using a client application tool to call for registration data for the domain name via a secure SSL connection with the registration server, determining if the domain has been registered, and returning and displaying registration data for the domain name as a confirmed identity, or (2) calling a program on the registration server in response to an HTML tag on the domain via a secure SSL connection and passing it the domain name, determining if the domain has been registered, determining if the domain name has been registered, and returning and displaying registration data for the domain name as a confirmed identity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a content provider that provides computer-generated content over a network and through an environment for accessing the content provider;

sending a query from a client application tool to a registration server including address information for the content provider; and

after sending the query, the client application receiving identification information associated with the content provider from the registration server; and

the client application displaying the information on a client display outside an environment for accessing the content provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content provider includes a Web site and the network includes the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a query includes sending over a secure connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple content providers can be accessed at different addresses, wherein the client application tool monitors the addresses that are accessed.

5. A method comprising:

saving identification on a registration server information associated with a content provider that provides computer-generated content and is accessible to end users over a network;

cross-referencing an address of the content provider to previously saved identification information;

responsive to a query from a client application tool that includes the content provider'"'"'s address information, determining if the content provider has been registered; and

causing identification information to be provided to the client application tool for display on a client display outside an environment used for the accessing the content provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the content provider includes a Web site and the network includes the Internet.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the query is received over a secure connection.

8. A method comprising:

a user accessing a content provider that provides computer-generated content over a network at an address;

a client application tool calling a program on a remote registration server and providing address information related to the content provider; and

the client receiving an icon for display from the registration server indicating that the content provider'"'"'s address has been registered with the registration server and including then-current date-and-time information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the content provider includes a Web site.

10. A method comprising:

storing, in a registration server, identification information for a content provider that provides computer-generated content to end users over a network;

responsive to a communication from a client application, the registration server determining registration information associated with the content provider; and

returning an icon to the client application for display, the icon including registration data associated with the domain name from the registration server, the icon being provided with then-current date-and-time information.

11. A method comprising:

responsive to a user accessing a Web site through a Web ser, providing a user interface element to the user for display, the user element displaying a name of the owner of a Web site and being selectable to provide further information.