Methods and computer program products for securing display of message content

• US 7,827,245 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cohen, Gabriel A., Karstens, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tammy T
• Application Number:
  US11/682,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 370/467, 713/170
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided by securing display of sensitive messages to prevent third parties from viewing sensitive content. For one or more incoming messages designated as sensitive, substitute content to be displayed in place of sensitive content is received from a message recipient. Alternatively or additionally, an indicia to be displayed with any incoming message designated as sensitive is received from the message recipient. A message having sensitive content is designated as sensitive by a sender, a recipient, or an intermediate system. Upon receipt of a message designated as sensitive, a message window is displayed that includes substitute content different from the sensitive content. The substitute content includes an indicia that the sensitive content is not displayed.

Claims

1. A method for securing display of sensitive electronic messages to prevent third parties from viewing sensitive content, the method comprising:

receiving substitute content from a message recipient to be displayed in place of sensitive content for any incoming message designated as sensitive or, alternatively or additionally, receiving an indicia from the message recipient to be displayed with any incoming message designated as sensitive, wherein the substitute content is related to a surrounding environment of the message recipient and is unrelated to the sensitive content;

designating a message as including sensitive content, wherein the designating is performed by at least one of a message sender, the message recipient and an intermediate system, wherein messages originating from at least one of a specific email address and an instant messaging screen name are designated as sensitive, and wherein the intermediate messaging system automatically designates the messages originating from at least one of the specific email address and the instant messaging screen as sensitive; and

upon receipt of a message designated as including sensitive content, displaying a message window that includes substitute content different from the sensitive content, wherein the substitute content includes an indicia that the sensitive content is not displayed,

wherein if the indicia is alternatively received, the indicia is part of the sensitive content and indicates that the message includes sensitive content,

wherein if the indicia is additionally received, the indicia part of the sensitive content, indicates that the message includes sensitive content and is included in the message after the substitute content is received.

2. The method of claim 1 further including automatically generating the substitute content.

3. The method of claim 1 further including receiving an indication from the message recipient and, in response thereto, replacing the substitute content with the sensitive content.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the indication comprises clicking on one or more characters of the message window.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the indication comprises highlighting one or more characters of the message window.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the indication comprises entering a predetermined key sequence.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the indication comprises right-clicking a pointing device to cause a pop-up menu to appear with an option “

display original message”

.

8. A computer program product for securing display of electronic messages to prevent third parties from viewing sensitive content, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising:

receiving substitute content from a message recipient to be displayed in place of sensitive content for any incoming message designated as sensitive or, alternatively or additionally, receiving an indicia from the message recipient to be displayed with any incoming message designated as sensitive, wherein the substitute content is related to a surrounding environment of the message recipient, and is unrelated to the sensitive content;

designating a message as including sensitive content, wherein the designating is performed by at least one of a message sender, the message recipient and an intermediate system, wherein messages originating from at least one of a specific email address and an instant messaging screen name are designated as sensitive, and wherein the intermediate messaging system automatically designates the messages originating from at least one of the specific email address and the instant messaging screen as sensitive; and

upon receipt of a message designated as including sensitive content, displaying a message window that includes substitute content different from the sensitive content, wherein the substitute content includes an indicia that the sensitive content is not displayed,

wherein if the indicia is alternatively received, the indicia is part of the sensitive content and indicates that the message includes sensitive content,

wherein if the indicia is additionally received, the indicia part of the sensitive content, indicates that the message includes sensitive content and is included in the message after the substitute content is received.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further including instructions for automatically generating the substitute content.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further including instructions for receiving an indication from the message recipient and, in response thereto, replacing the substitute content with the sensitive content.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises clicking on one or more characters of the message window.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises highlighting one or more characters of the message window.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises entering a predetermined key sequence.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises right-clicking a pointing device to cause a pop-up menu to appear with an option “

display original message”

.