System, method and program for network management using saved history information

• US 8,719,364 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Hi-Tech Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Hi-Tech Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kita, Shinsaku, Sakakibara, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSA, ABDELNABI O
• Application Number:
  US12/056,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/227, 709/230, 709/238, 709/245, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A network management system transmits/receives an email via a network; saves, in a database, first history information including the address of at least one of the destination and the source of the email written in the email; receives transmission information in which access information for accessing a web page via a network is written; saves, in the database, second history information including the access information written in the transmission information; inputs authentication information for identifying a user; and selectively displays the first history information saved in the first saving unit and the second history information saved in the second saving unit in a predetermined display format on a display unit by switching between the first history information and the second history information based on an instruction inputted by a user when the inputted authentication information is identical to previously registered information.

Claims

1. A network management system comprising at least a processing unit and memory serving as:

a first transmitting/receiving unit adapted to transmit/receive an email via a network;

a first saving unit adapted to save, in a database, first history information including the address of at least one of the destination and the source of the email written in the email;

a second saving unit adapted to save, in the database, second history information including first URL information retrieved from the email, wherein the first URL information is not retrieved from an address of the destination or the source of the email;

a second transmitting/receiving unit adapted to transmit/receive a request to access a web page, the request including second URL information associated with the web page;

a third saving unit adapted to save, in the database, third history information including the second URL information;

a first analyzing unit adapted to analyze whether the email is an unsolicited email based at least in part on the second history information; and

a display control unit adapted to selectively display, on a display unit, the first history information, the second history information, and the third history information stored in the database.

2. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the first history information and the second history information in time-series on the display unit.

3. The network management system according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit changes the display order of the first history information and the second history information in response to an instruction inputted by a user.

4. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the database saves the first history information and the second history information in CSV format.

5. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the first history information includes the address of at least one of the destination and the source of an unsolicited email written in the unsolicited email.

6. A network management system comprising at least a processing unit and memory serving as:

a receiving unit adapted to receive an email sent via a network;

a sending unit adapted to send an email via the network;

a first determining unit adapted to determine whether or not the received email is an unsolicited email;

an extracting unit adapted to extract URL information for accessing a web page when the first determining unit determines the email to be an unsolicited email; and

a saving unit adapted to save, in a database, the URL information extracted by the extracting unit

wherein the sending unit is further adapted to determine whether URL information included in a body of an email or a document attached to an email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving unit when the email is sent, and to issue a warning or to block transmission of the email if it is determined that the URL information included in the body of the email or the document attached to the email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving unit.

7. The network management system according to claim 6, further comprising;

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit an email via a network;

a second determining unit adapted to determine whether or not a destination address is identical to address information saved by the saving unit when transmitting the email; and

a control unit adapted to either block transmission of the email, issue a warning, or execute both when the second determining unit determines the destination address is identical to the saved address information.

8. The network management system according to claim 6, wherein the database further stores filter information for determining an unsolicited email, and

the first determining unit determines whether or not the email is an unsolicited email based on the filter information.

9. The network management system according to claim 8, wherein the database further stores URL information to a malicious web page, and

the first determining unit determines the received email to be an unsolicited email when the email contains the URL information stored in the database.

10. The network management system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a filter information receiving unit adapted to receive filter information from an external data center apparatus; and

an updating unit adapted to update the filter information stored in the database based on the filter information received by the filter information receiving unit.

11. The network management system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a filter information transmitting unit adapted to transmit the filter information stored in the database to the data center apparatus.

12. The network management system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third determining unit adapted to determine whether or not URL information contained in request information that requests access to a server apparatus located on an external network is identical to the access information saved by the saving unit when transmitting the request information,

wherein the control unit either blocks transmission of the request information, issues a warning, or executes both when the third determining unit determines the URL information to be identical to the saved URL information.

13. The network management system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a fourth determining unit adapted to determine, when transmitting transmission information including email address information by the POST method, whether or not the email address information is identical to the address information saved by the saving unit,

wherein the control unit either blocks transmission of the transmission information, issues a warning, or executes both.

14. A network management method in a network management system comprising:

a first transmitting/receiving step of transmitting/receiving an email via a network;

a first saving step of saving, in a database, first history information including the address of at least one of the destination and the source of the email written in the email;

a second saving step of saving, in the database, second history information including first URL information retrieved from the email, wherein the first URL information is not retrieved from an address of the destination or the source of the email;

a second transmitting/receiving step of transmitting/receiving a request to access a web page, the request including second URL information associated with the web page;

a third saving step of saving, in the database, third history information including the second URL information;

a first analyzing step of analyzing whether the email is an unsolicited email based at least in part on the second history information; and

a display control step of selectively displaying the first history information, the second history information, and the third history information stored in the database.

15. A network management method in a network management system comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an email sent via a network;

a sending step of sending an email via a network;

a first determining step of determining whether or not the received email is an unsolicited email;

an extracting step of extracting URL information for accessing a web page when the email is determined to be an unsolicited email in the first determining step; and

a saving step of saving, in a database, the URL information extracted in the extracting step,

wherein the sending step includes determining whether URL information included in a body of an email or a document attached to an email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving step when the email is sent, and issuing a warning or to block transmission of the email if it is determined that the URL information included in the body of the email or the document attached to the email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving step.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute:

a first transmitting/receiving step of transmitting/receiving an email via a network;

a first saving step of saving, in a database, first history information including the address of at least one of the destination and the source of the email written in the email;

a second saving step of saving, in the database, second history information including first URL information retrieved from the email, wherein the first URL information is not retrieved from an address of the destination or the source of the email;

a second transmitting/receiving step of transmitting/receiving a request to access a web page, the request including second URL information associated with the web page;

a third saving step of saving, in the database, third history information including the second URL information;

a first analyzing step of analyzing whether the email is an unsolicited email based at least in part on the second history information; and

a display control step of selectively displaying the first history information, the second history information, and the third history information stored in the database.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute:

a receiving step of receiving an email sent via a network;

a sending step of sending an email via a network;

a first determining step of determining whether or not the received email is an unsolicited email;

an extracting step of extracting URL information for accessing a web page when the email is determined to be an unsolicited email in the first determining step; and

a saving step of saving, in a database, the URL information extracted in the extracting step,

wherein the sending step includes determining whether URL information included in a body of an email or a document attached to an email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving step when the email is sent, and issuing a warning or to block transmission of the email if it is determined that the URL information included in the body of the email or the document attached to the email is the same as the URL information stored in the saving step.