Methods to improve security of conference calls by observation of attendees' order and time of joining the call

• US 8,243,904 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lingafelt, Charles Steven, Murray, James William, Swantek, James Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US12/631,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20110135082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 370260-262, 379/188, 379/189, 379196-198, 37920201-20601, 379/93.21, 379/158, 348 1408- 141, 455/416, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes a method for detecting fraudulent use in a conference calling system. A threshold period is received, wherein the threshold period indicates the maximum allowable time period for a participant of a conference call to enter the conference call prior to the entry of the moderator of the conference call. A monitor detects the entry of the moderator into the conference call and entry of the participants into the conference call. A waiting period is determined for one or more of the participants, wherein the waiting period represents the time period between the entry of the moderator and the entry of the participant. A processor compares the waiting period to the threshold period. If the threshold period exceeds the waiting period, the conference call is allowed to continue. In at least one embodiment, actions are performed with the processor if the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

Claims

1. A method for detecting fraudulent use in a conference calling system, said method including:

receiving a threshold period, the threshold period indicating a maximum allowable time period for a participant of a conference call to enter the conference call prior to the entry of the moderator of the conference call;

detecting the entry of the moderator into the conference call;

detecting entry of at least one participant into the conference call;

determining a waiting period for the at least one participant, the waiting period including a time period between the entry of the at least one participant and the entry of the moderator;

comparing the waiting period to the threshold period with a processor; and

performing actions with the processor if the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including permitting the conference call to continue if the threshold period exceeds the waiting period.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including:

receiving a passcode to enter the conference call from the at least one participant;

obtaining first information from a person assigned the passcode;

obtaining second information from the at least one participant; and

determining whether the first information matches the second information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the actions include sending an alert to the at least one participant if the first information matches the second information, the alert indicating that the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first information includes at least one of an employee number, an identification badge number, a home telephone number, a home address, a mobile telephone number, an e-mail address, an office telephone number, an office address, and at least one answer to at least one security question entered by the person assigned the passcode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said of the actions includes sending an alert to at least one of an administrator of the conference calling system, a moderator of the conference call, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the waiting period for at least one participant exceeded the threshold period.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actions include at least one of permitting an administrator of the conference calling system to enter the conference call, disconnecting the at least one participant from the conference call, terminating the conference call, and voiding at least one passcode to the conference call.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actions include generating and storing a report, where the report includes at least one of time of the entry of the moderator, time of the entry of at least one participant, the threshold period, the waiting period, at least one passcode to the conference call, and the actions performed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the actions include first information from a person assigned a passcode to the conference call, and second information from the at least one participant.

10. A method for detecting fraudulent use in a conference calling system, said method including:

receiving a scheduled start time for a conference call of the conference calling system;

receiving a threshold period, the threshold period indicating a maximum allowable time period for an attendee of the conference call to enter the conference call prior to the scheduled start time for the conference call;

determining a waiting period for at least one attendee of the conference call, the waiting period including a time period between a time that the at least one attendee entered the conference call and the scheduled start time of the conference call;

comparing the waiting period to the threshold period with a processor; and

performing actions with the processor if the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including permitting the conference call to continue if the threshold period exceeds the waiting period.

12. The method according to claim 10, further including:

receiving a passcode to enter the conference call from the at least one attendee;

obtaining first information from a person assigned the passcode;

obtaining second information from the at least one attendee; and

determining whether the first information matches the second information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the actions include, sending an alert to the at least one attendee if the first information matches the second information, the alert indicating that the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first information includes at least one of an employee number, an identification badge number, a telephone number, a home address, an e-mail address, an office address, and at least one answer to at least one security question entered by the person assigned the passcode.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said of the actions includes sending an alert to at least one of an administrator of the conference calling system, a moderator of the conference call, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the waiting period for at least one attendee exceeded the threshold period.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the actions include at least one of permitting an administrator of the conference calling system to enter the conference call, disconnecting the at least one attendee from the conference call, terminating the conference call, and voiding at least one passcode to the conference call.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the actions include generating and storing a report, where the report includes at least one of the scheduled start time for the conference call, the threshold period, the waiting period, the time that the at least one attendee entered the conference call, at least one passcode to the conference call, and the actions performed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the actions include first information from a person assigned a passcode to the conference call, and second information from the at least one attendee.

19. A system for detecting fraudulent use in a conference calling system, said system including:

a user interface for receiving a scheduled start time for a conference call of said conference calling system and a threshold period, the threshold period including a maximum allowable time period for an attendee of the conference call to enter the conference call prior to the scheduled start time for the conference call; and

a processor operatively connected to said user interface, the processor;

determines a waiting period for at least one attendee of the conference call, the waiting period including a time period between a time that the at least one attendee entered the conference call and the scheduled start time of the conference call;

compares the waiting period to the threshold period, and

performs at least one of validation actions and alert actions if the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said processor permits the conference call to continue if the threshold period exceeds the waiting period.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said system further includes a receiver for receiving a passcode to enter the conference call from the at least one attendee, wherein said user interface receives first information from a person assigned the passcode and stores the first information in a database, said receiver receives second information from the at least one attendee, wherein said processor determines whether the first information matches the second information, and wherein said processor includes an alert module, said alert module sends an alert to the at least one attendee if the first information matches the second information, the alert indicating that the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said processor includes an alert module, said alert module sends an alert to at least one of an administrator of said conference calling system, a moderator of the conference call, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the waiting period exceeds the threshold period.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein said processor does at least one of permits an administrator of said conference calling system to enter the conference call, disconnects the at least one attendee from the conference call, terminates the conference call, and voids at least one passcode to the conference call.

24. The system according to claim 19, further including a report generating module for generating and storing a report, where the report includes at least one of the scheduled start time for the conference call, the threshold period, the waiting period, the time that the at least one attendee entered the conference call, at least one passcode to the conference call, the alert actions performed, and the validation actions performed, wherein the validation actions include first information from a person assigned a passcode to the conference call, and second information from the at least one attendee.

25. A computer program product for detecting fraudulent use in a conference calling system, said computer program product including:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive a scheduled start time for a conference call of the conference calling system;

second program instructions to receive a threshold period, the threshold period including a maximum allowable time period for an attendee of the conference call to enter the conference call prior to the scheduled start time for the conference call;

third program instructions to determine a waiting period for at least one attendee of the conference call, the waiting period including a time period between a time that the at least one attendee entered the conference call and the scheduled start time of the conference call;

fourth program instructions to compare the waiting period to the threshold period with a processor; and

fifth program instructions to perform at least one of validation actions and alert actions with the processor if the waiting period exceeds the threshold period,

wherein said first program instructions, said second program instructions, said third program instructions, said fourth program instructions, and said fifth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium.