Systems and methods for protecting proprietary data

• US 8,650,645 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McKesson Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mckesson Financial Holdings Limited (McKesson Corp.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Tracy, Bombalier, Ernesto L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehedi, Morshed
• Application Number:
  US13/434,362
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 726 22- 23
• US Class Current: 726/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

Systems and methods for protecting proprietary data are provided. A file of computer-executable code that facilitates the processing of proprietary information when executed may be identified. At least one hashing operation may be performed on the file to generate a first representative value associated with the file. At least one approval associated with validation of the file may be received by the computing system. The at least one approval may be stored in association with the generated representative value. Prior to the execution of the file, the at least one hashing operation may be utilized to determine a second representative value associated with the file. Execution of the file may be selectively permitted based at least in part upon a determination of whether the second representative value matches the stored first representative value and whether the at least one approval is available.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a computing system comprising one or more computers, a file of computer-executable code that facilitates the processing of proprietary information when executed by at least one processor;

performing, by the computing system, at least one hashing operation on the file to generate a first representative value associated with the file;

receiving, by the computing system, at least one approval associated with validation of the file;

storing, by the computing system, the at least one approval in association with the generated representative value;

determining, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file and utilizing the at least one hashing operation, a second representative value associated with the file; and

comparing, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file, the first representative value to the second representative value, wherein,

if the second representative value matches the stored first representative value and at least one approval is available, selectively permitting, by the computing system, execution of the file, and

if the second representative value does not match the stored first representative value, determining by the computing system based at least in part upon a comparison of the first representative value to the second representative value, that the file has been modified subsequent to the storage of the at least one approval, wherein execution of the file is not permitted based upon the determination that the file has been modified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at least one approval comprises receiving a plurality of approvals associated with validation of the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at least one approval comprises:

receiving, by the computing system, a first electronic signature indicating that a first individual has validated the file; and

receiving, by the computing system, a second electronic signature indicating that a second individual has validated the file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the computing system for presentation to at least one user, one or more prompts for approval information;

receiving, by the computing system, user input associated with the one or more prompts; and

generating, by the computing system, the at least one approval based at least in part upon an evaluation of the received user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a file comprises identifying at least one of (i) a script or (ii) a plug-in associated with the processing of proprietary healthcare information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the computing system, scheduling information associated with the execution of the file;

identifying, by the computing system based at least in part upon the scheduling information, an execution time for the file,

wherein selectively permitting execution of the file comprises selectively permitting execution of the file at the identified execution time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the computing system based upon a determination that the at least one approval is not available, at least one alert message; and

communicating, by the computing system, the at least one alert message to a recipient.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor that accesses the at least one memory and executes the computer-executable instructions to;

identify a file of computer-executable code that facilitates the processing of proprietary information when executed by at least one processor;

perform at least one hashing operation on the file to generate a first representative value associated with the file;

receive at least one approval associated with validation of the file;

store the at least one approval in association with the generated representative value;

determine, prior to the execution of the file and utilizing the at least one hashing operation, a second representative value associated with the file; and

compare, prior to the execution of the file, the first representative value to the second representative value, wherein,

if the second representative value matches the stored first representative value and at least one approval is available, selectively permitting, by the computing system, execution of the file, and

if the second representative value does not match the stored first representative value, determining by the computing system based upon a comparison of the first representative value to the second representative value, that the file has been modified subsequent to the storage of the at least one approval, wherein execution of the file is not permitted based upon the determination that the file has been modified.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one approval comprises a plurality of approvals associated with validation of the file.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one approval comprises:

a first electronic signature indicating that a first individual has validated the file; and

a second electronic signature indicating that a second individual has validated the file.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to:

direct the output of one or more prompts for approval information for presentation to at least one user;

receive user input associated with the one or more prompts; and

generate the at least one approval based at least in part upon an evaluation of the received user input.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the file comprises at least one of (i) a script or (ii) a plug-in associated with the processing of proprietary healthcare information.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to:

obtain scheduling information associated with the execution of the file;

identify, based at least in part upon the scheduling information, an execution time for the file; and

selectively permit execution of the file at the identified execution time.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further executes the computer-executable instructions to:

generate, based upon one of (i) a determination that the second representative value does not match the stored first representative value or (ii) a determination that the at least one approval is not available, at least one alert message; and

direct communication of the at least one alert message to a recipient.

15. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a computing system comprising one or more computers, a file of computer-executable code;

determining, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file and based upon the performance of at least one hashing operation on the file, a representative value associated with the file;

accessing, by the computing system, stored representative value information, the stored representative value information previously generated utilizing the at least one hashing operation;

determining, by the computing system, whether the generated representative value corresponds to the stored representative value;

determining, by the computing system, whether at least one approval associated with the validation of the file is stored in association with the stored representative value; and

comparing, by the computing system prior to the execution of the file, the first representative value to the second representative value, wherein,

if the second representative value matches the stored first representative value and at least one approval is available, selectively permitting, by the computing system, execution of the file, and

if the second representative value does not match the stored first representative value, determining by the computing system based at least in part upon a comparison of the first representative value to the second representative value, that the file has been modified subsequent to the storage of the at least one approval, wherein execution of the file is not permitted based upon the determination that the file has been modified.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating a first representative value comprises generating a first representative value by executing at least one hashing operation on the file, and

wherein generating a second representative value comprises generating a second representative value by executing the at least one hashing operation on the file.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether at least one approval is stored comprises determining whether a plurality of electronic signatures is stored.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining, by the computing system, scheduling information associated with the execution of the file;

identifying, by the computing system based at least in part upon the scheduling information, an execution time for the file,

wherein selectively permitting execution of the file comprises selectively permitting execution of the file at the identified execution time.