Information aggregation, processing and distribution system

• US 7,809,791 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Scott, William D., Schwartz, Michael I., Franklin, Keith B., Auten, Charles W., Tolley, Richard G., Flesher, Kevin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US12/249,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/219, 709/223, 719/315
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/302 gathering intelligence information for situation awareness or reconnaissance

Abstract

A utility is provided for managing exchanges of information within a context involving multiple users, for example, multi-user network collaboration. The invention enables automatic enforcement of a policy regarding sensitive information. The policy may be negotiated among the users and expressed as multiple rule sets that govern access to a use of sensitive information. The utility also logs activities involving sensitive information to ensure compliance with the policy. These logs can be audited by a third party or automatically processed for audit compliance by the utility. In this manner, an environment of trust is created which encourages fruitful collaboration.

Claims

1. A method for use in enabling collaboration among multiple network users and protecting sensitive information of one or more of the users, comprising the steps of:

establishing a collaborative environment for collaboration among said multiple network users, said collaborative environment including network structure for use in enabling a collaboration with respect to collaboration subject matter including sensitive information subject to a policy regarding handling thereof relative to said network users, wherein said sensitive information includes multiple items of sensitive information associated with multiple network users, and wherein said multiple items of sensitive information are associated with multiple rule sets regarding dissemination thereof, said collaborative environment further including a computer-based tool for automatic enforcement of said policy, wherein said computer-based tool includes a database storing content-based rules related to specific information sources and intended recipients and a processor operable to apply the content-based rules to the information to construct a recipient-specific output in compliance with the content-based rules; and

using said computer-based tool to manage said collaboration by monitoring activities relating to said collaboration subject matter using said network structure, identifying an activity concerning a portion of said sensitive information and controlling said identified activity based on said policy.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said computer based tool is operative for processing an item of said collaboration including a portion of said sensitive information in accordance with said policy so as to provide multiple, different presentations of said item to multiple ones of said network users.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said multiple network users include users associated with government entities and users associated with private-sector entities, and said policy includes first rules governing dissemination of information as between the users associated with government entities and the users associated with private-sector entities.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensitive information includes personal information and said policy includes first rules for protecting the privacy of said information.

5. A method for use in enabling collaboration among multiple network users and protecting sensitive information of one or more of the users, comprising the steps of:

establishing a collaborative environment for collaboration among said multiple network users, said collaborative environment including network structure for use in enabling a collaboration with respect to collaboration subject matter including sensitive information subject to a policy regarding handling thereof relative to said network users, said collaborative environment further including a computer-based tool for automatic enforcement of said policy, wherein said computer-based tool includes a database storing content-based rules related to specific information sources and intended recipients and a processor operable to apply the content-based rules to the information to construct a recipient-specific output in compliance with the content-based rules; and

using said computer-based tool to manage said collaboration by monitoring activities relating to said collaboration subject matter using said network structure, identifying an activity concerning a portion of said sensitive information and controlling said identified activity based on said policy, wherein said computer-based tool is further operative for compiling a log of activities involving said sensitive information so that a party can review said log to verify compliance with said policy.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said computer-based tool is further operative for automated processing of said log for auditing compliance with said policy in accordance with pre-established audit rules.

7. A method for use in enabling collaboration among multiple network users and protecting sensitive information of one or more of the users, comprising the steps of:

establishing a collaborative environment for collaboration among said multiple network users, said collaborative environment including network structure for use in enabling a collaboration with respect to collaboration subject matter including sensitive information subject to a policy regarding handling thereof relative to said network users, said collaborative environment further including a computer-based tool for automatic enforcement of said policy, wherein said computer-based tool includes a database storing content-based rules related to specific information sources and intended recipients and a processor operable to apply the content-based rules to the information to construct a recipient-specific output in compliance with the content-based rules; and

using said computer-based tool to manage said collaboration by monitoring activities relating to said collaboration subject matter using said network structure, identifying an activity concerning a portion of said sensitive information, controlling said identified activity based on said policy, associating a classification with said portion of said sensitive information, and using said classification to enforce said policy.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said classification determines which ones of said multiple network users are entitled to use said portion of said sensitive information.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said classification determines what kinds of activities a particular one of said users is entitled to perform involving said sensitive information.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said classification is part of a classification system defining multiple classes associated with multiple rule sets governing use of said sensitive information.

11. A method for use in enabling collaboration among multiple network users and protecting sensitive information of one or more of the users, comprising the steps of:

establishing a collaborative environment for collaboration among said multiple network users, said collaborative environment including network structure for use in enabling a collaboration with respect to collaboration subject matter including sensitive information subject to a policy regarding handling thereof relative to said network users, said collaborative environment further including a computer-based tool for automatic enforcement of said policy, wherein said computer-based tool includes a database storing content-based rules related to specific information sources and intended recipients and a processor operable to apply the content-based rules to the information to construct a recipient-specific output in compliance with the content-based rules; and

using said computer-based tool to manage said collaboration by monitoring activities relating to said collaboration subject matter using said network structure, identifying an activity concerning a portion of said sensitive information and controlling said identified activity based on said policy, wherein said collaborative environment involves multiple groups of network users where each group is associated with a policy governing activities involving sensitive information within said group, and wherein said computer-based tool is further operative for automatically executing rules controlling activities involving sensitive information as between a first one of said groups and a second one of said groups.

12. A method for use in sharing information between at least one source system and multiple recipient systems, comprising the steps of:

providing a collaboration system interposed between said source system and said recipient systems for facilitating sharing of information between said source system and said recipient systems, said collaboration system configured for communication with each of said source system and said recipient system using a defined network interface, wherein said collaboration system includes a database storing content-based rules related to specific information sources and intended recipients and a processor operable to apply the content-based rules to the information to construct a recipient-specific output in compliance with the content-based rules;

accessing first input information from said source system by said collaboration system;

accessing a first instruction set related to a first recipient system by said collaboration system;

accessing a second instruction set related to a second recipient system by said collaboration system;

first operating said collaboration system to provide a first output to said first recipient system based on said first input information and said first instruction set; and

second operating said collaboration system to provide a second output to said second recipient system based on said first input information and said second instruction set, where said second output has a content different than said first output.