Indicating website reputations based on website handling of personal information

• US 8,566,726 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Dixon, Christopher John, Pinckney, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/342,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,826 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/219, 709/217, 715/760, 715/738, 715/733, 715/835
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention relates to the methods and systems involved in receiving an indicator of an attempt by a user to interact with a website and presenting indicia of the website'"'"'s reputation to the user, the reputation may be at least in part based on information about how an entity associated with the website treats personal information of users of the website.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an indicator of an attempt by a user to interact with a website prior to accessing the website;

presenting indicia of a website'"'"'s reputation to the user, wherein the website'"'"'s reputation is at least in part based on information about how an entity associated with the website treats personal information of users of the website;

presenting a website alternative for the user attempting interaction with a website having a bad reputation, wherein the website alternative is selected to be presented based at least on its respective popularity and its respective security reputation;

predicting whether a particular transaction alert is to be provided to the user based on the website having the bad reputation;

evaluating if a web page has form fields for completion; and

providing a pre-transaction alert to the user before providing the particular transaction alert based, at least, on the web page having form fields and the website having the bad reputation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation is provided through a graphic associated with a personal information query facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is provided through a reputation indicator within a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reputation indicator is presented on a tool bar.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the reputation indicator is presented on a menu bar.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user does not enter a website because of the reputation indicator.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the reputation indicator presents a suggested alternate website to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is prevented from providing information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is prevented from sending information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempt by the user to interact with the website prior to accessing the website includes at least one of entering an address in a browser facility, entering a search query in a search facility, and providing information through a web page.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reputation indicator presents information about End User License Agreement privacy terms.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the website alternative is presented at the time of the attempted interaction prior to accessing the website.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the website alternative includes a list of at least one high reputation website that provides content or services similar to content or services offered by the website.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempt by the user to interact with the website prior to accessing the website includes the user hitting “

return”

in a navigation bar of a browser facility.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a receiving facility coupled to the processor and adapted to receive an indicator of an attempt by a user to interact with a website prior to accessing the website; and

a presenting facility adapted to present indicia of a website'"'"'s reputation to the user, wherein the website'"'"'s reputation is at least in part based on information about how an entity associated with the website treats personal information of users of the website wherein the system is further configured to;

present a website alternative for the user attempting interaction with a website having a bad reputation, wherein the website alternative is selected to be presented based at least on its respective popularity and its respective security reputation;

predict whether a particular transaction alert is to be provided to the user based on the website having the bad reputation;

evaluate if a web page has form fields for completion; and

provide a pre-transaction alert to the user before providing the particular transaction alert based, at least, on the web page having form fields and the website having the bad reputation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the presentation is provided through a graphic associated with a personal information query facility.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the indicia is provided through a reputation indicator within a graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reputation indicator is presented on a tool bar.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the reputation indicator is presented on a menu bar.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the user does not enter a website because of the reputation indicator.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the reputation indicator presents a suggested alternate website to the user.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the user is prevented from providing information.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the user is prevented from sending information.