System, device and method for securely transferring data across a network

• US 8,549,280 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compriva Communications Privacy Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compriva Communications Privacy Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Grace, Barry Michael, Dagg, William Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Application Number:
  US12/900,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A method, system, server device and computer program product for securely transferring data from one or more non-subscribers to a subscriber or subscriber-defined destination, via a network, are provided. Access is provided, to one or more non-subscriber, to a network location indicator (NLI) and a private data transfer conduit is established, accessible via the NLI and configured to accept data from the non-subscribers. Data received at the conduit is transformed into secured data and transferred to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination. In some embodiments, access to the NLI may be provided by accepting a request from a subscriber and sending, upon receipt of the request, a notification to at least one non-subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of securely transferring data from two or more non-subscribers to a subscriber or a subscriber-defined destination, communicatively linked by a network, the method comprising:

providing access, to at least one of the two or more non-subscribers, to a predetermined network location indicator;

establishing a private data transfer conduit accessible via the network location indicator and configured to accept data received from the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers;

transforming data received by the private data transfer conduit into secured data; and

transferring the secured data via the network to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination,

wherein providing access to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers to a predetermined network location indicator comprises;

receiving a private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber, the private data transfer conduit request comprising information relating to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers; and

sending a private data transfer conduit notification to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers, the private data transfer conduit notification comprising the predetermined network location indicator;

the method further comprising;

sending a second private data transfer conduit notification to a second at least one of the two or more non-subscribers, the second private data transfer conduit notification comprising a second network location indicator;

establishing a second private data transfer conduit accessible via the second network location indicator and configured to accept data received from the second at least one of the two or more non-subscribers;

transforming data received by the second private data transfer conduit into second secured data; and

transferring the second secured data via the network to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the private data transfer conduit request further includes information relating to the subscriber, and wherein the method further comprises authenticating the subscriber based at least in part on the information relating to the subscriber prior to sending the private data transfer conduit notification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein access to a network location corresponding to the predetermined network location indicator is restricted to a predetermined set of non-subscribers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of transforming the secured data into unsecured data after the step of transferring the secured data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of sending a confirmation notification to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers after the step of transferring the secured data, the confirmation notification comprising information relating to receipt of the secured data by the subscriber or subscriber defined destination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming data comprises one or more of:

encryption, and separation of data for secure transfer across a private network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a network location accessible only to subscribers, the network location configured to facilitate generation of the private data transfer conduit request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing one or more certificates or keys used in said transforming data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein data accepted at the private data transfer conduit from the two or more non-subscribers is encrypted data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to at least one of the two or more non-subscribers to a predetermined network location indicator comprises placing the predetermined network location indicator on another network location accessible to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is selected from one or more of text information, data files, streaming audio, streaming video and VOIP data.

12. A system for securely transferring information over a network from two or more non-subscribers to a subscriber or subscriber-defined destination, the system comprising:

a subscriber computing device communicatively linked to the network;

two or more non-subscriber devices communicatively linked to the network;

a server device communicatively linked to the network and configured to provide access, to a first one of the two or more non-subscriber devices, to a predetermined network location indicator, the server device further configured to provide access, to a second one of the two or more non-subscriber devices, to a second predetermined network location indicator;

a network location corresponding to the predetermined network location indicator; and

a second network location corresponding to the second predetermined network location indicator;

a private data transfer conduit accessible via the predetermined network location indicator;

a second private data transfer conduit accessible via the second network location indicator; and

a processing and server device operatively coupled to the private data transfer conduit and the second private data transfer conduit and configured to;

accept data from the two or more non-subscriber devices, transform the data into secured data, and transfer the secured data to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination via the network

wherein the server device is configured to;

accept a private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber comprising information relating to the first one of the two or more non-subscribers;

send, upon receipt of said private data transfer conduit request, a private data transfer conduit notification to the first one of the two or more non-subscribers, the notification comprising the predetermined network location indicator;

accept a second private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber comprising information relating to the second one of the two or more non-subscribers; and

send, upon receipt of said second private data transfer conduit request, a second private data transfer conduit notification to the second one of the two or more non-subscribers, the notification comprising the second predetermined network location indicator.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein providing access to the two or more non-subscribers comprises placing the predetermined network location indicator on another network location accessible to the non-subscriber.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the subscriber computing device is configured to transform the transferred secured data into unsecured data.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the data is selected from one or more of text information, data files, streaming audio, streaming video and VOIP data.

16. A server device communicatively linked to a network configured to facilitate secure transfer of information over a network from two or more non-subscribers to a subscriber or subscriber-defined destination, the server device comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to individual ones of the one or more processors, a given processor being configured to generate and process information and handle communications with the server, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon for execution by the one or more processors, the server device being configured, at least in part via operation of the one or more processors and the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, to;

provide access to at least one of the two or more non-subscribers to a predetermined network location indicator; and

establish a private data transfer conduit at a network location corresponding to the network location indicator, the private data transfer conduit configured to accept data from a non-subscriber and transform the data into secured data and transfer the secured data to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination via the network,

wherein said providing access to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers comprises;

accepting a private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber comprising information relating to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers; and

sending, upon receipt of said private data transfer conduit request, a private data transfer conduit notification to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers, the private data transfer conduit notification comprising the predetermined network location indicator, the server device further configured to;

send a second private data transfer conduit notification to a second at least one of the two or more non-subscribers, the second private data transfer conduit notification comprising a second network location indicator;

establish a second private data transfer conduit accessible via the second network location indicator and configured to accept data received from the second at least one of the two or more non-subscribers;

transform data received by the second private data transfer conduit into second secured data; and

transfer the second secured data via the network to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination.

17. The server device of claim 16, wherein the private data transfer conduit request further includes information relating to the subscriber, and wherein the server is further configured to authenticate the subscriber based at least in part on the information relating to the subscriber prior to sending the private data transfer conduit notification.

18. The server device of claim 16, wherein access to a network location corresponding to the predetermined network location indicator is restricted to a predetermined set of non-subscribers.

19. The server device of claim 16, the server device further configured to send a confirmation notification to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers after the step of transferring the secured data to the subscriber, the confirmation notification comprising information relating to receipt of the secured data by the subscriber.

20. The server device of claim 16, wherein said transforming data comprises one or more of:

encryption, and separation of data for secure transfer across a private network.

21. The server device of claim 16, further configured to generate a network location accessible only to subscribers, the network location configured to facilitate generation of the private data transfer conduit request.

22. The server device of claim 16, further configured to manage one or more certificates or keys used in said transforming data.

23. The server device of claim 16, wherein data accepted at the private data transfer conduit from the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers is encrypted data.

24. The server device of claim 16, wherein providing access to at least one of the two or more non-subscribers comprises associating the predetermined network location indicator with another network location accessible to the at least one of the two or more non-subscribers.

25. The server device of claim 16, wherein the data is selected from one or more of text information, data files, streaming audio, streaming video and VOIP data.

26. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a computing device, is adapted to securely transfer data from two or more non-subscribers to a subscriber or a subscriber-defined destination communicatively linked by a network, including:

providing access, to a first one of the two or more non-subscribers, to a predetermined network location indicator;

providing access, to a second one of the two or more non-subscribers, to a second predetermined network location indicator;

establishing a private data transfer conduit accessible via the network location indicator and configured to accept data received from the first one of the two or more non-subscribers;

establishing a second private data transfer conduit accessible via the second network location indicator and configured to accept data received from the second one of the two or more non-subscribers;

transforming data received by the private data transfer conduit into secured data;

transforming data received by the second private data transfer conduit into second secured data;

transferring the secured data via the network to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination;

transferring the second secured data via the network to the subscriber or subscriber-defined destination;

wherein providing access to the two or more non-subscribers to a predetermined network location indicator comprises;

receiving a private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber, the private data transfer conduit request comprising information relating to the first one of the two or more non-subscribers;

sending a private data transfer conduit notification to the first one of the two or more non-subscribers, the private data transfer conduit notification comprising the predetermined network location indicator;

receiving a second private data transfer conduit request from the subscriber, the second private data transfer conduit request comprising information relating to the second one of the two or more non-subscribers; and

sending a second private data transfer conduit notification to the second one of the two or more non-subscribers, the second private data transfer conduit notification comprising the second network location indicator.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the data is selected from one or more of text information, data files, streaming audio, streaming video and VOIP data.