Security classification of E-mail and portions of E-mail in a web E-mail access client using X-header properties

• US 8,024,411 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TITUS Inc.
• Original Assignee: TITUS Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Brad P., Warrington, Connor, Pulfer, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US11/870,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 707/769, 726/23
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Web based e-mail classification is disclosed. A toolbar adds the ability to classify message such as web e-mail, calendar items and meeting appointments based on specific properties such as security classification, information type, document type, document retention, document caveats, and the like associated with the message. The toolbar through dropdown selections allows users to select the appropriate classification and properties based upon the content of the message. Administrators can predefine all the classification selections that are available to the user. E-mail classification properties are generated that are associated with the message by metadata insertion and by inserting visual markings that allow users to quickly identify the security, sensitivity, intended distribution or retention of the e-mail or calendar item. By utilizing the classification toolbar a user can classify an e-mail by one or more classification levels and be ensured that the message is delivered and processed in the appropriate manner.

Claims

1. A method for message security classification in a web e-mail access client comprising:

creating a message form within a web client window;

launching a classification toolbar within the message form, the classification toolbar providing at least a security classification option input and secondary classification option input;

populating security classification options in the classification toolbar based upon pre-defined classification criteria, the security classification options identifying three or more security levels available for selection by a user;

receiving a security classification selection input identifying one of the three or more security levels populated in the classification toolbar, selected by the user, the security classification selection input associated with a portion of identified text with in a text body of the message form;

populating secondary classification options in the classification toolbar based upon the security classification selection input from the pre-defined classification criteria;

receiving a secondary classification selection input from the secondary classification options selected by the user from the toolbar;

determining whether the security classification selection input and the secondary classification selection input are valid based upon administrator defined classification policy; and

assigning x-header properties to the message metadata associated with the identified text in the text body of the message form, the x-header properties are based upon the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input when security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are valid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the web client is a Microsoft Outlook Web Access client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-defined classification criteria are defined relative to one or more security levels and one or more selected from the group comprising:

sensitivity levels, intended distribution groups and retention level.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message form and wherein the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are compared to previous security classification selection and secondary classification selection and wherein classification selections that are lower classification level than the previous selection are denied.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message form and wherein the security classification selection input and the secondary classification selection input are compared to previous classification selections and wherein if at least one of the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are lower levels than the previous classification selections associated with the message form, a warning is displayed to the user that the classification selections of the received message form has been lowered.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message and wherein the security classification selection input and the secondary selection input are compared to previous classification selections and wherein the classification selections populated in the toolbar are limited to selections that are equal to or higher level than the previous classifications selections.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding recognizable classification properties and visual markings to the message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the visual markings comprises inserting a security classification identifier into a subject line of the message based upon the security classification selection input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the visual markings comprises inserting a security classification identifier into a body of the message based upon the security classification selection input.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the security classification identifier comprises prefix or postfix text added to the message body based upon the security classification selection input.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-defined security classification criteria are based upon a user class associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising logging all classification selections by the user in a classification information database.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the message form is executed by Microsoft ComposeNote.js routine.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the message form further defines a calendar item and the security classification data is stored with electronic meeting information in the calendar item itself.

15. A system for message security classification in a web e-mail client comprising:

a memory; and

a processor for executing of the instructions comprising;

creating a message form within a web e-mail client window;

launching a classification toolbar within the message form, the classification toolbar providing at least a security classification option input and secondary classification option input;

populating security classification options in the classification toolbar based upon pre-defined classification criteria, the security classification options identifying three or more security levels available for selection by a user;

receiving a security classification selection input identifying one of the three or more security levels populated in the classification toolbar, selected by the user, the security classification selection input associated with a portion of identified text with in a text body of the message form;

populating secondary classification options in the classification toolbar based upon the security classification selection input from the pre-defined classification criteria;

receiving a secondary classification selection input from the secondary classification options selected by the user from the toolbar;

determining whether the security classification selection input and the secondary classification selection input are valid based upon administrator defined classification policy; and

assigning x-header properties to the message metadata associated with the identified text in the text body of the message form, the x-header properties are based upon the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input if security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are valid.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the web-email client is a Microsoft Outlook Web Access client.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the pre-defined classification criteria are defined relative to one or more security levels and one or more selected from the group comprising:

sensitivity levels, intended distribution groups and retention level.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message form and wherein the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are compared to previous security classification selection and secondary classification selection and wherein classification selections that are lower classification level than the previous selection are denied.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message form and wherein the security classification selection input and the secondary classification selection input are compared to previous classification selections and wherein if at least one of the security classification selection input and secondary classification selection input are lower levels than the previous classification selections associated with the message form, a warning is displayed to the user that the classification selections of the received message form has been lowered.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the message form is based upon a previously created or received message and wherein the security classification selection input and the secondary selection input are compared to previous classification selections and wherein the classification selections populated in the toolbar are limited to selections that are equal to or higher level than the previous classifications selections.