Obfuscating entry of sensitive information

• US 8,640,252 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finjan Blue, Inc. (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian John, Johlic, Marc Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/465,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2123 Dummy operation

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for obfuscating entry of information are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A set of additional aspects to be applied to a part of an input is communicated to a provider of the input. The set of additional aspects is distinct from a second set of additional aspects to be applied to another input. An obfuscated input corresponding to the part of the input is received. A subset of the set of additional aspects is present in the obfuscated input. The part of the input from the obfuscated input is recovered by removing, using a processor and a memory, the subset of the set of additional aspects from the obfuscated input. An entry field input corresponding to the input is generated. The entry field input is sent to an application executing in a data processing system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for obfuscating entry of information, the method comprising:

communicating to a provider of an input a set of additional aspects to be applied to a part of the input, wherein the set of additional aspects is distinct from a second set of additional aspects to be applied to another input;

receiving, from the provider, an obfuscated input corresponding to the part of the input, wherein a subset of the set of additional aspects is present in the obfuscated input;

recovering the part of the input from the obfuscated input by removing, using a processor and a memory, the subset of the set of additional aspects from the obfuscated input, forming a recovered part;

generating an entry field input corresponding to the input using the recovered part; and

sending the entry field input to an application executing in a data processing system.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the another input is a second part of the input, wherein the set of additional aspects is communicated to the provider prior to the provider beginning to provide the input, and wherein the second set of additional aspects is communicated to the provider after the provider begins to provide the input but before the provider provides the second part of the input.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the another input is the input as provided by a second provider at a different time.

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

selecting a set of obfuscation methods, wherein the selecting comprises;

receiving a sensor input, the sensor input corresponding to an ambient condition of the provider; and

selecting an obfuscation method to include in the set of obfuscation methods that accounts for the ambient condition; and

combining the obfuscation methods in the set of obfuscation methods to determine the set of additional aspects.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein an additional aspect in the set of additional aspects is provided by a data processing system.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein a character corresponding to a character input key of a data entry component of the data processing system forms the part of the input, wherein the additional aspect includes multiple interactions with the character input key of the data entry component of the data processing system for the character corresponding to the character input key to be accepted as the part of the input.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the character is a whole word, and an interaction in the multiple interactions with the character input key results in reading out the whole word in an audio output to the provider.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the multiple interactions comprise a combination of tapping, swiping, and drawing a pattern on the character input key, and wherein a second patter approximating the pattern is accepted as an acceptable interaction in the multiple interactions.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the additional aspect includes

making a data entry component of the data processing system visually inaccessible,

announcing a character corresponding an invisible key of the visually inaccessible data entry component responsive to the provider gesturing proximate to the invisible key,

receiving a second gesture at a location of the gesture, and

selecting the character responsive to the second gesture at the location.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the additional aspect includes

making a data entry component of the data processing system visually inaccessible,

announcing a set of characters in a predetermined order,

receiving a gesture at the data entry component within a predetermined interval from announcing a character in the set of characters, and

selecting the character responsive to the gesture.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system accepts the part of the input by accepting an interaction of the provider with a character input key of a data entry component of the data processing system, and wherein the data processing system accepts a second part of the input via a voice entry from the provider.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein an additional aspect in the set of additional aspects is added to the input by the provider upon receiving communication of the set of additional aspects from a data processing system.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes reading out to the provider a character under an invisible key of a data entry component of the data processing system.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes randomly replacing a character with a different character.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes modifying the part of the input using a second part of the input.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes a multi-finger gesture relative to a key of a data entry component of the data processing system for using a character corresponding to the key.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes multiple gestures a predetermined interval apart, relative to a key of a data entry component of the data processing system, for using a character corresponding to the key.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect includes gestures relative to multiple keys of a data entry component of the data processing system for using a character corresponding to one of the multiple keys.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the additional aspect is excluded from reuse in conjunction with a second part of the input.

20. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for obfuscating entry of information, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for communicating to a provider of an input a set of additional aspects to be applied to a part of the input, wherein the set of additional aspects is distinct from a second set of additional aspects to be applied to another input;

computer usable code for receiving, from the provider, an obfuscated input corresponding to the part of the input, wherein a subset of the set of additional aspects is present in the obfuscated input;

computer usable code for recovering the part of the input from the obfuscated input by removing, using a processor and a memory, the subset of the set of additional aspects from the obfuscated input, forming a recovered part;

computer usable code for generating an entry field input corresponding to the input using the recovered part; and

computer usable code for sending the entry field input to an application executing in a data processing system.

21. The computer usable program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

22. The computer usable program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

23. A data processing system for obfuscating entry of information, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for communicating to a provider of an input a set of additional aspects to be applied to a part of the input, wherein the set of additional aspects is distinct from a second set of additional aspects to be applied to another input;

computer usable code for receiving, from the provider, an obfuscated input corresponding to the part of the input, wherein a subset of the set of additional aspects is present in the obfuscated input;

computer usable code for recovering the part of the input from the obfuscated input by removing, using a processor and a memory, the subset of the set of additional aspects from the obfuscated input, forming a recovered part;

computer usable code for generating an entry field input corresponding to the input using the recovered part; and

computer usable code for sending the entry field input to an application executing in a data processing system.