Privacy protection system

• US 8,266,708 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadlands Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Broadlands Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Shevchenko, Oleksiy Yu., Pyntikov, Alexander V.
• Primary Examiner(s): POWERS, WILLIAM S
• Application Number:
  US12/330,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08

Abstract

Novel system and methodology for protecting privacy of a computer device'"'"'s user. A privacy protection device interacts with the computer device to enable the user to operate in multiple private modes. The system involves a data storage coupled to the privacy protection device, via a secure link, such as a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) tunnel that provides an encryption protocol. The data storage is divided into multiple storage sections corresponding to the multiple private modes. Each section is configured for storing encrypted data supporting a particular private mode. The privacy protection device enables the user to set a selected private mode and runs software applications that use the data from the storage section corresponding to the selected mode.

Claims

1. A system for protecting privacy of a user of a computer device, comprising:

a privacy protection device coupled to the computer device to enable the user of the computer device to operate in multiple private modes, the privacy protection device having a privacy protection controller provided separately from the computer device, for controlling operations of the privacy protection device,

a storage coupled to the privacy protection device and including multiple storage sections corresponding to the multiple private modes, each storage section being configured for storing encrypted data supporting a particular mode of the multiple private modes, the storage being accessible by the computer device only via the privacy protection device,

the privacy protection device being configured for setting a selected mode of the multiple private modes, and for running a software application that uses the data from the storage section corresponding to the selected mode, to enable the user to operate in the selected mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the privacy protection device is configured for providing a unique key for each private mode to encrypt and decrypt data stored in the respective storage section.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the privacy protection device includes a circuit for storing the unique key for encrypting and decrypting data stored in each of the storage sections.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple private modes enable the user to operate at different levels of privacy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a storage section provided for a particular private mode includes a data area for storing the data supporting the respective private mode, and an application area for storing a software application supporting the respective private mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the privacy protection device is configured for clearing all data used in the selected mode after terminating operation in the selected mode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the privacy protection device is configured for transferring data associated with the selected mode to the storage corresponding to the selected mode after terminating the selected mode.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the privacy protection device is configured for encrypting the data being transferred to the storage section.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the storage is coupled to the privacy protection device via a secure link that provides an encryption protocol.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switching circuit configured in a private mode to prevent data entered by the user from being transferred to an input circuit of the computer device and to forward the entered data to the privacy protection device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the protection device includes an input controller for receiving the data transferred from the switching circuit.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device is configured to display data using a monitor that provides a private window on a screen for displaying data in the private modes, the private window being different from a window for displaying data in a non-private mode of operation.

13. A privacy protection device coupled to a computer device for protecting privacy of data used by the computer device, the privacy protection device comprising:

a controller provided separately from the computer device, for controlling operations of the privacy protection device,

an operating system for running a software application using data loaded from a data storage remote with respect to the privacy protection device and the computer device, the data storage having at least a first storage section for storing first data used in a first private mode of operation available for a user of the computer device, and a second storage section for storing second data used in a second private mode of operation available for the user of the computer device, the first private mode has a privacy level different from a privacy level of the second private mode, the data storage being accessible by the computer device only via the privacy protection device; and

a boot management circuit responsive to selection of the first private mode for loading the first data into the privacy protection device from the first storage section,

the boot management circuit being responsive to selection of the second private mode for removing from the privacy protection device the first data and for loading into the privacy protection device the second data from the second storage section.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first data removed from the privacy protection device is loaded into the first storage section.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the boot management circuit is responsive to selection of the first private mode for loading into the privacy protection device a first software application required in the first private mode, and responsive to selection of the second private mode for removing the first software application from the privacy protection device and loading into the privacy protection device a second software application required in the second private mode.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first software application is loaded from the first storage section, and the second software application is loaded from the second storage section.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising a key storage for storing a first encryption/decryption key for decrypting the first data loaded in the first private mode, and for encrypting the first data transferred from the privacy protection device to the first storage section;

and for storing a second encryption/decryption key different from the first encryption/decryption key, for decrypting the second data loaded in the second private mode, and for encrypting the second data transferred from the privacy protection device to the second storage section.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the boot management circuit is configured to access the first encryption/decryption key in response to first authentication information, and the boot management circuit is configured to access the second encryption/decryption key in response to second authentication information different from the first authentication information.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the privacy protection device enables a user to assess a first network resource during the first privacy mode, and to access a second network resource during the second privacy mode.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a filtering circuit configured for preventing the user from accessing the first network resource when the user operates in the second privacy mode, and for preventing the user from accessing the second network resource when the user operates in the first privacy mode.

21. A method of privacy protection comprising the steps of:

enabling a user of a computer device to select a first private mode of operation,

in response to selection of the first private mode, loading into a privacy protection device first data from a data source remote with respect to the privacy protection device and the computer device, the privacy protection device having a controller provided separately from the computer device, for controlling operations of the privacy protection device, the data source being accessible by the computer device only via the privacy protection device,

enabling the user to select a second private mode of operation having a privacy level different with respect to a privacy level of the first private mode, and

in response to selection of the second private mode, removing from the privacy protection device the first data and loading into the privacy protection device second data from the remote data source.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the first data transferred from the privacy protection device to the data source when the first private mode is terminated using a first encryption key, and

encrypting the second data transferred from the privacy protection device to the data source when the second private mode is terminated using a second encryption key different from the first encryption key.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of, when the first private mode or the second private mode is selected, preventing data entered by the user from being supplied to an input driver of the computer device and forwarding the entered data to the privacy protection device.