System and methods for facilitating secure communications on a website

• US 8,453,218 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rupation Com
• Original Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Fertik, Michael, Mir, Saad, Sparrow, Abbey, Harnois, Jeffrey A. II, Lan, Gang (Tiger)
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US13/300,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system and methods for facilitating secure communications on a website are presented. The system comprising a security server configured to receive a secure message from a creator device is disclosed. The security server encodes the received message and sends the encoded message or a representation of the encoded message for posting on the website so that one or more users of the website have the ability to request that the security server make the message available after the encoded message has been decoded.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a security server configured to;

receive an encoded message or a representation of the encoded message from a creator through a first social networking website;

receive an access request to access the encoded message or the representation of the encoded message from a viewer through a second social networking website, wherein the viewer has a first identity with the first social networking website and a second identity with the second social networking website;

determine whether the viewer is authorized to access the encoded message or a representation of the encoded message; and

provide, if the viewer is authorized, a decoded message or a representation of the decoded message to the viewer through the second social networking website.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the access request is received at the security server in response to the viewer receiving a notification that an encoded message is accessible.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the received notification is associated with the first social networking website and/or the second social networking website.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises verifying the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the access request includes the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the decoded message can be text, image files, audio/visual files, or a link.

7. A method for facilitating secure communications through a social networking website, the method comprising:

receiving an encoded message or a representation of the encoded message from a creator through a first social networking website;

receiving an access request to access the encoded message or the representation of the encoded message from a viewer through a second social networking website, wherein the viewer has a first identity with the first social networking website and a second identity with the second social networking website;

determining whether the viewer is authorized to access the encoded message or a representation of the encoded message; and

providing, if the viewer is authorized, a decoded message or a representation of the decoded message to the viewer through the second social networking website.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the access request is received at the security server in response to the viewer receiving a notification that an encoded message is accessible.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received notification is associated with the first social networking website and/or the second social networking website.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining comprises verifying the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the access request includes the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the decoded message can be text, image files, audio/visual files, or a link.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, causes a security server to perform a method for facilitating secure communications through a social networking website, the method comprising:

receiving an encoded message or a representation of the encoded message from a creator through a first social networking website;

receiving an access request to access the encoded message or the representation of the encoded message from a viewer through a second social networking website, wherein the viewer has a first identity with the first social networking website and a second identity with the second social networking website;

determining whether the viewer is authorized to access the encoded message or a representation of the encoded message; and

providing, if the viewer is authorized, a decoded message or a representation of the decoded message to the viewer through the second social networking website.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the access request is received at the security server in response to the viewer receiving a notification that an encoded message is accessible.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the received notification is associated with the first social networking website and/or the second social networking website.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises verifying the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the access request includes the viewer'"'"'s credentials associated with at least one of the first networking website and the second networking website.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the decoded message can be text, image files, audio/visual files, or a link.