System and method for alerting on open file-share sessions on a user's electronic device

• US 7,581,004 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Domo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gabriel Jakobson
• Inventors: Jakobson, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillis; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/354,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method and system for detecting active file-share sessions on a client device, alerting the user of the client device, and enabling the user to terminate the file-share sessions, are disclosed. In accordance with the disclosed method and system, when a remote device (e.g., on a network, the Internet, wireless, etc) connects to a shared file or folder on a client device (e.g., a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, personal video recorder, and the like) the user of the client device receives an alert identifying the file-sharing session established through this connection. The user is then presented with an option of whether to approve this file-sharing session, or to disconnect it (thus causing the remote user to lose access to the client device'"'"'s file system) with a single click of a button.

Claims

1. A method of protecting an electronic device against unauthorized access to files and folders associated with said electronic device, comprising:

determining whether there are active file-share sessions associated with said electronic device;

in the event at least one active file-share session is determined to exist, determining whether the at least one active file-share session is included on an approved share-session list;

in the event the at least one active file-share session is determined not to be on the approved share-session list, retrieving identifying information of a remote device associated with the at least one active file-share session; and

sending an alert, wherein the alert includes the identifying information of the remote device and an approval request providing a recipient of the alert a capability to approve or terminate the at least one active file-share session;

in response to receiving an approval from said recipient, including on the approved share-session list the at least one active file share session; and

in response to receiving a denial from said recipient, terminating the at least one active file-share session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote device identifying information includes a name and an internet protocol (“

IP”

) address of said remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes identifying information specifying any files or folders associated with the at least one active file-share session determined not to be on the approved share-session list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes information specifying user credentials under which the any files or folders associated with the at least one active file-share session are determined not to be on the approved share-session list are accessed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the event at least one active file-share session is determined to exist, suspending access to the at least one active file-share session;

in response to receiving an approval from said recipient, reinstating access to the at least one active file-share session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a log of the determination and the alert presented, the log including the received denial or approval associated with the alert.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the determination of whether there are active file-share sessions on said electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the initiating step is initiated by a timer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the timer is operated at a frequency of greater than 1 cycle per second.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiating step is invoked by an operating system on said electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the initiating step is invoked upon detection of access to a file or folder associated with said electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a personal computer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile telephone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a digital video recorder.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a gaming system.

16. A method of controlling access to data files associated with an electronic device, comprising:

determining whether a remote device is attempting to create a file-share session associated with the electronic device;

in the event of a determination that said remote device is attempting to create a file-share session, collecting identifying information of said remote device; and

sending an alert wherein the alert contains the identifying information and an approval request, wherein the approval request provides a recipient of the alert a capability to approve or reject the attempt to create the file-share session; and

receiving input from the recipient;

in the event the input is an approval, allowing said remote device to create a file-share session; and

in the event the input is a denial, terminating the attempt to create a file-share session.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in the event the input is an approval, entering the collected identifying information of said remote device in an approved open share-session list, and

prior to sending an alert, determining whether the file-share session is associated with a remote device specified in the approved share-session list;

in the event the file-share session is associated with a remote device specified in the approved share-session list, allowing said remote device to access the file-share session.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the alert is sent to a user of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a user is connected to the electronic device over a network.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining at least one file affected by the file-share session; and

including a name of the at least one file in the alert.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining at least one file-folder affected by the file-share session; and

including a name of the at least one file-folder in the alert.