Method and system for protecting information on a computer system

• US 8,166,562 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peoplechart Corporation
• Original Assignee: Peoplechart Corporation
• Inventors: Holvey, R. David, Jopling, Arthur Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANAAN, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US12/079,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 6, 726/22, 726 26- 27
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party

Abstract

A system and method for protecting sensitive information, for example, a user'"'"'s personal information, stored on a database where the information is accessible via a communications network such as the Internet. An exemplary embodiment stores the sensitive information on an off-line server. The off-line server is connected to an on-line server. The on-line server is connected to the user via the Internet. The user interfaces with the on-line server, and at a scheduled time window, the sensitive information is made available to the on-line server by the off-line server. Outside of the time window, none of the sensitive information is kept on the on-line server. Thus by placing the sensitive information on-line for only limited periods of time the risk of compromise to the sensitive information is greatly reduced.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

storing data for a user on a first storage device accessible from a first computing device using a first communication path in an internal network between the first computing device and the first storage device;

authenticating the user for scheduling a data transfer, wherein authentication is performed using a second communication path through a public network;

scheduling a data transfer for a user-specified period of time on the first computing device using a second computing device through a third communication path in the internal network, wherein scheduling of data transfers can only be performed via first computing devices in the internal network;

authenticating the user for access to the data, wherein the authentication is performed using a fourth communication path through the public network between a third computing device and a fourth computing device;

moving, for the purpose of being available for the user-specified period of time only, at least a subset of the data through a fifth communication path from the first storage device to a second storage device in response to the authentication of the user of the data and the scheduling of the data transfer on the first computer; and

permitting, on the fourth computing device, access to the user through the third computing device through via the fourth communication path in the public network to the at least a subset of the data on the second storage device for only the user-specified period of time in response to a request from the user and removing the subset of the data from the second storage device thereafter, wherein the fourth computing device is not allowed to schedule data transfers for data stored on the first storage device through the fourth communication path between the third computing device and the fourth computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating comprising:

receiving a user ID and password for the user; and

receiving an access code for the user, the access code associated with the user-specified period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein moving the data is performed in response to receiving the access code.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the access code in response to receiving a reservation for the user-specified period of time from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device only accepts requests for the data stored on the first storage device that originate from an address for the third computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein only communications between the first computing device and the third computing device are allowed to pass through a security router coupling the first computing device to the third computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fifth communication path allows communications in one direction from the first computing device to the third computing device to transfer the subset of data from the first storage device to the second storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fifth communication path allows a request from the fourth computing device to be routed to the first computing device through the third computing device to transfer additional data from the first storage device to the second storage device, the request being after the scheduling of the data transfer and during the user-specified period of time.

9. A method of protecting data from unauthorized access comprising:

storing data for a user on a first storage device connected to a secure network, the first storage device being accessible from a first computing device using a first communication path in the secure network between the first computing device and the first storage device;

determining a selection of an access time and an access period for the user;

scheduling a data transfer for a user-specified period of time on the first computing device using a second computing device through a second communication path in the secure network, wherein scheduling of data transfers can only be performed via second computing devices in the secure network;

at the access time, loading for the purpose of being available for the access period only, by the first computing device, at least a subset of the data from the first storage device through a third communication path in the secure network to a second storage device, the second storage device being accessible through a fourth communication path in a public network from a third computing device upon authentication of the user, wherein the third computing device is not allowed to schedule data transfers for data stored on the first storage device through the fourth communication path in the public network; and

removing the at least a subset of data from the second storage device after the access period has passed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a start time and the access period that defines the access time and the access period;

loading the at least a portion of data, on or after the start time, from the first storage device through the secure network onto the second storage device,

wherein removing the data from the second storage device is performed after the access period has passed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an access code generated in response to the user scheduling the start time and the access period, the access code enabling the user to access the at least the portion of data from the second storage device via the public network on or after the start time until end of the access period after the start time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the loading the at least a portion of data is responsive to receiving from the user the access code at or after the start time and before end of the access period after the start time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein loading the data is performed when an access code associated with the access time and the access period is received from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating the access code in response to determining the selection of access time and the access period.

15. A system, comprising:

a first computer for generating a password, wherein the first computer is accessible by a user only via a telephone through a first communication path between the user and the telephone;

a second computer associated with a first storage device for storing data, the second computer configured to;

receive a scheduling of a data transfer for a user-specified period of time from the first computer through a second communication path in an intranet, wherein scheduling of data transfers can only be performed via first computing devices in the intranet;

receive the password and a request for the data through a third communication path via an external network from a third computer; and

authenticate the user using the password;

the third computer configured to;

receive the request from the user via a fourth communication path in the Internet from a fourth computer;

receive, for the purpose of being available for the user-specified period of time only, at least a portion of the data from the first storage device associated with the second computer in response to the authentication of the user and the scheduling of the data transfer on the second computer; and

provide the at least the portion of the data to the user through the fourth communication path in the Internet for only the user-specified period of time and removing the at least a portion of the data thereafter, wherein the fourth computer is not allowed to schedule data transfers for data stored on the first storage device through the fourth communication path.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the second computer loads the at least a portion of the data onto a second storage device associated with the third computer after a user-defined start time and the data is removed from the second storage device after a user-defined access period.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first computer and the third computer are connected to the second computer via the intranet, said intranet being secure.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first computer is accessible by the user via the telephone by way of calling a service representative who has access to the first computer.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first computer is accessible by the user via the telephone by way of an automated voice recognition unit.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the second computer accepts and stores the user-defined start time and user-defined access period from the user if the user is authenticated.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the password comprises a session ID, the session ID associated with an access period reserved by the user for accessing the data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the third computer receives the data from the second computer in response to the second computer receiving the session ID.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the session ID is generated after authenticating a user ID and a user password for the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second computer is configured to:

receive the user ID and the user password; and

authenticate the user using the user ID, the user password, and the session ID.