Anonymous and secure network-based interaction

• US 8,458,349 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brunell, Bradly A., Dumais, Susan T., Goodman, Joshua T., Horvitz, Eric J., Flake, Gary, Gupta, Anoop, Meek, Christopher A., Naam, Ramez, Peltonen, Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/156,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2539 Hiding addresses; Keeping addresses anonymous
• 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 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer

Abstract

The subject disclosure pertains to anonymous network interaction. More specifically, mechanisms are provided to ensure anonymity with respect network interaction such that third parties are unable to determine the source and/or intent of communications. Accordingly, entities may anonymize all outgoing and/or incoming data packets so as to mitigate outside entities from learning about information being sought and/or provided. For example, a user or corporation may employ an anonymizer with respect to web searching so that outside entities are not able to determine what information is attempted to be accessed and by whom.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates private and secure network-based interaction comprising the following computer-implemented components:

a computer-implemented interface component that receives a network-based communication originated by a user, the interface component resides within a network;

a computer-implemented simulator component to recommend anonymizing of a source identity included in the network-based communication in response to determining that the anonymizing minimizes inferences made regarding the user, the determining being made based at least on a simulation of a user interaction through the network that includes the network-based communication as guided by a long-term privacy goal of the user; and

a computer-implemented anonymizer component that, based at least on the recommendation from the simulator component, disguises a source identity of the network-based communication so as to minimize adverse effects on communication capabilities, and transmits the network-based communication that is disguised to a target destination outside the network, wherein the anonymizer component disguises the source identity at least by;

monitoring network traffic on the network to determine that the user has set preference information for the target destination via a specific cookie value in a current cookie, the preference information enabling the user to conduct a particular type of search query on the target destination, and

automatically replacing the current cookie with a new cookie that includes the specific cookie value to hold the preference information to enable the user to repeat the particular type of search query on the target destination via the preference information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymizer component maps a device IP address to a random address associated with the system such that the random address is utilized to communicate with other devices rather than the device IP address.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymizer component disguises an intent of the network-based communication.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymizer component modifies values returned to a script interpreter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymizer component augments or deletes one or more client header values associated with a hypertext transport protocol to mask source software identifying information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymizer component alters or removes one or more accept header values to obfuscate types of supported communication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the new cookie becomes the current cookie after replacement, and wherein the anonymizer component is to repeat the replacement of the current cookie with another new cookie to hold the preference information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the network-based communication includes one of voice-over-IP communication, a search query, or a network navigation.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a computer-implemented filter component that controls application of the anonymizer component based on context;

or

a computer-implemented certification component that, in response to a request from the anonymizer component, provides a certificate that authenticates to the target destination that the network-based communication is from an authorized user without revealing the identity of the user.

10. A method, comprising:

determining that a recommendation for an anonymization of a source identity included in a network-based communication originated by a user minimizes inferences made regarding the user, the determining being made based at least on a simulation of a user interaction through the network that includes the network-based communication as guided by a long-term privacy goal of the user;

disguising the source identity of the network-based communication following the determining and based on the recommendation by using an anonymizer component to at least;

determine that the user has set preference information for a target destination via a current cookie, the preference information enabling the user to conduct a particular type of search query on the target destination; and

automatically replace the current cookie with a new cookie to hold the preference information to enable the user to repeat the particular type of search query on the target destination via the preference information; and

transmitting the network-based communication that is disguised to the target destination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the target destination is outside of the network.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising mapping, via the anonymizer component, a device IP address to a random address such that the random address is utilized to communicate with other devices rather than the device IP address.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the disguising the source identity disguises an intent of the network-based communication.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying, via the anonymizer component, values returned to a script interpreter.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising augmenting or deleting, via the anonymizer component, one or more client header values associated with a hypertext transport protocol to mask source software identifying information.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising altering or removing, via the anonymizer component, one or more accept header values to obfuscate types of supported communication.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the new cookie becomes the current cookie after replacement, and wherein the anonymizer component repeats the replacement of the current cookie with another new cookie to hold the preference information.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the network-based communication includes one of voice-over-IP communication, a search query, or a network navigation.

19. A system that facilitates private and secure network-based interaction comprising the following computer-implemented components:

a computer-implemented interface component that receives a network-based communication originated by a user, the interface component resides within a network;

a computer-implemented simulator component to recommend anonymizing of source identity information included in the network-based communication in response to determining that the anonymizing minimizes inferences made regarding the user, the determining being made based at least on a simulation of a user interaction through the network that includes the network-based communication as guided by a long-term privacy goal of the user; and

a computer-implemented anonymizer component that disguises a source identity of the network-based communication based at least on the recommendation from the simulator component, wherein the anonymizer component disguises the source identity by implementing at least one of;

replacing a current cookie that holds preference information enabling the user to conduct a particular type of search query on a target destination with a new cookie that holds the preference information after a predetermined time interval; and

deleting one or more client header values associated with a hypertext transport protocol of the network-based communication to mask source software identifying information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the new cookie becomes the current cookie after replacement, and wherein the anonymizer component is to repeat the replacement of the current cookie with another new cookie to hold the preference information after an additional predetermined time interval.