Method and apparatus for preventing the inadvertent or unauthorized release of information

• US 8,001,609 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Rankine, Alastair, Orbach, Julian James, Gentle, Christopher R., Chan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US10/944,096
• Time in Patent Office: 2,524 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726 26- 27, 726/30, 726/1, 380255-276, 705 57- 58, 713/187, 709206-207, 709/238, 709/242, 707/609, 707/705
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to avoiding the unintentional release of sensitive or proprietary information. According to embodiments of the present invention, the content of a message is analyzed to determine whether delivery of that content to an address associated with the message is appropriate. This analysis may be performed in connection with Bayesian content analysis algorithms. The present invention may also analyze whether addresses associated with a message are appropriate for receiving that message by analyzing whether those addresses belong to the same or compatible groups. If a message is determined to be inappropriate for delivery to an associated address, delivery of that message is modified. Such modification may include delaying delivery until confirmation that delivery is to be completed is received from the user or some other authority.

Claims

1. A computational component for performing a method, the method comprising:

detecting on a first network a first electronic message, wherein said first electronic message is addressed to first and second delivery addresses;

interrupting a delivery of said first electronic message;

analyzing said first and second delivery addresses of said first electronic message;

in response to determining that said delivery addresses are of a first type, analyzing a content of said first electronic message;

in response to determining that said content of said first electronic message is not appropriate for delivery to said first delivery address, interrupting delivery of said first electronic message to said first delivery address, wherein said interrupting delivery of said first electronic message includes;

modifying said first electronic message, wherein said modifying said first electronic message comprises adding a proprietary marking to said electronic message; and

sending said modified first electronic message to said first delivery address;

in response to determining that said content of said first electronic message is appropriate for delivery to said second delivery address, allowing delivery of said first electronic message to said second delivery address;

detecting on said first network a second electronic message, wherein said second electronic message is addressed to said first and second delivery addresses;

interrupting a delivery of said second electronic message;

analyzing said first and second delivery addresses of said second electronic message;

in response to determining that said first and second delivery addresses are of a first type, analyzing a content of said second electronic message;

in response to determining that said content of said second electronic message is appropriate for delivery to said first delivery address, allowing delivery of said second electronic message to said first delivery address;

in response to determining that said content of said second electronic message is not appropriate for delivery to said second delivery address, interrupting delivery of said second electronic message to said second delivery address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying said first electronic message comprises removing content that is not appropriate for delivery to said first delivery address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying said first electronic message includes returning said first electronic message to a sender.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first electronic message includes an attachment, and wherein said analysis of said first electronic message includes an analysis of said attachment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first electronic message is associated with a plurality of delivery addresses, and wherein at least one of said delivery addresses is determined to be of said first type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivery of said first electronic message to a delivery address that is appropriate for said content is not interrupted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing a content of said first electronic message comprises at least one of key word searching, a Bayesian analysis, a hidden Markov analysis or a state space analysis of said content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein first content is determined to be inappropriate for a first delivery address in a first instance, and wherein said first content is determined to be appropriate for said first delivery address in a second instance, wherein delivery of said first content to said first delivery address was not approved by a user in said first instance, and wherein delivery of said first content to said first delivery address was approved by said user in said second instance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said computational component comprises a computer readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said computational component comprises a logic circuit.

11. A communication system, comprising:

means for providing electronic content associated with a first address;

means for detecting a request from said means for providing electronic content to make first and second content available to at least a first and second means for receiving electronic content as part of first and second electronic messages respectively;

means for determining a content of said first and second electronic messages;

means for modifying delivery of said first and second electronic messages, wherein said modifying said delivery of said first and second electronic messages comprises adding a proprietary marking to said first and second electronic messages, wherein delivery of said first electronic message is modified in response to determining that said first content of said first electronic message should not be delivered to said at least first means for receiving electronic content, wherein said first electronic message is delivered to said second means for receiving electronic content, wherein said first electronic message is not delivered to said first means for receiving electronic content, wherein said means for modifying delivery of said first and second electronic messages forms a modified first electronic message and releases said modified first electronic message for delivery to said first means for receiving content, wherein delivery of said second electronic message is modified in response to determining that said second content of said second electronic message should not be delivered to said at least second means for receiving electronic content, wherein said second electronic message is delivered to said first means for receiving electronic content, and wherein said first second electronic message is not delivered to said second means for receiving electronic content.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said modified first electronic message comprises at least an encrypted version of said first electronic message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for modifying delivery of said first and second electronic messages delivers said first electronic message to an authority for additional analysis.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for modifying delivery of said first and second electronic messages returns said first electronic message to said means for providing electronic content associated with a first address.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said first means for receiving electronic content is associated with a communication network that is local to said means for providing electronic content associated with a first address, and wherein said second means for means for receiving electronic content is not associated with said local communication network.