Protect sensitive content for human-only consumption

• US 8,347,396 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsby, Travis M., Morgan, Margaret Beth, Seacat, Lisa Anne, Zysk, David Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Application Number:
  US11/948,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for protecting sensitive content. In response to receiving a selection of content, the process determines whether the content is of a sensitive content type based on a policy. The process then designates the content as the sensitive content in response to the content being of a sensitive content type. Thereafter, the process generates a sensitive content reference for publication and stores the sensitive content in a data structure, wherein the data structure associates the sensitive content with the sensitive content reference. Subsequently, in response to receiving a request from a requester for the sensitive content reference, the process obfuscates the sensitive content using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content, and returns the obfuscated content to the requester.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for protecting sensitive content, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a selection of content, determining that the content contains an email address;

generating, by a computer processor, a sensitive content reference for publication of the content containing the email address on a web page;

responsive to receiving a request from a requestor for the content containing the email address, obfuscating the email address using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content;

returning the obfuscated content to the requestor, wherein the obfuscated content is published on the web page in place of the content, and wherein publishing the obfuscated content protects the email address from detection by a data collection bot; and

responsive to receiving a threshold number of unsolicited emails at the email address, identifying the selected obfuscation algorithm as unsafe, wherein the threshold number is specified in an obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the selected obfuscation algorithm is selected according to one or more conditions specified in the obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a type of the content and an amount of time that the obfuscation algorithm has been used.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the content does not contain the email address, publishing the content in unobfuscated form.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the content is made by a user.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the content is made automatically by a web server at serve time.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the obfuscated content is formed at rendering time.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the obfuscation algorithm is changed in response to receiving the threshold number of unsolicited emails.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, generating, obfuscating, returning the obfuscated content, and identifying is performed by a service provider.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of obfuscating the content is performed by a web browser before displaying the web page presenting the obfuscated content.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable storage device including computer usable program code for protecting sensitive content, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for determining, responsive to receiving a selection of content, determining that the content contains an email address;

computer usable program code for generating a sensitive content reference for publication of the content containing the email address on a web page;

computer usable program code for, responsive to receiving a request from a requestor for the content containing the email address, obfuscating the email address using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content;

computer usable program code for returning the obfuscated content to the requestor, wherein the obfuscated content is published on the web page in place of the content, and wherein publishing the obfuscated content protects the email address from detection by a data collection bot; and

computer usable program code for identifying the selected obfuscation algorithm as unsafe, in response to receiving a threshold number of unsolicited emails at the email address, wherein the threshold number is specified in an obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the selected obfuscation algorithm is selected according to one or more conditions specified in the obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a type of the content and an amount of time that the obfuscation algorithm has been used.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable program code for publishing the content in unobfuscated form in response to determining that the content does not contain the email address.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the selection of the content is made automatically by a web server at serve time.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the obfuscated content is formed at rendering time.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the obfuscation algorithm is changed in response to receiving the threshold number of unsolicited emails.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the receiving, generating, obfuscating, returning the obfuscated content, and identifying is performed by a service provider.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code for performing the step of obfuscating the content is performed by a web browser before displaying the web page presenting the obfuscated content.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to determine, responsive to receiving a selection of content, determine whether the content contains an email address;

generate a sensitive content reference for publication of the content containing the email address on a web page;

responsive to receiving a request from a requestor for the content containing the email address obfuscate the email address using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content;

return the obfuscated content to the requestor, wherein the obfuscated content is published on the web page in place of the content, and wherein publishing the obfuscated content protects the email address from detection by a data collection bot; and

identify the selected obfuscation algorithm as unsafe, in response to receiving a threshold number of unsolicited emails at the email address, wherein the threshold number is specified in an obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the selected obfuscation algorithm is selected according to one or more conditions specified in the obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a type of the content and an amount of time that the obfuscation algorithm has been used.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing unit executes computer usable program code for publishing the content in unobfuscated form in response to determining that the content does not contain the email address.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing unit executes computer usable program code to change the obfuscation algorithm in response to receiving the threshold number of unsolicited emails.