Secured document transmission

• US 8,792,110 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): DICKER, DENNIS T
• Application Number:
  US12/992,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20110063648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/3.28, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.18, 715/165, 715/154, 715/166, 715/167, 715/176, 715182-186
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

Systems and methods for securing a document for transmission are discussed. In one embodiment, a document is checked for an indication of confidentiality. The document is then passed to a secure driver, in response to a finding of the indication of confidentiality. The document is passed to a non-secure driver, in response to a failure to find the indication of confidentiality. The document is then transmitted after processing by the secure driver or the non-secure driver.

Claims

1. A method for securing a document for transmission, comprising:

checking the document for an indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a secure driver, in response to a finding of the indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a non-secure driver, in response to a failure to find the indication of confidentiality;

transmitting the document after processing by the secure driver or the non-secure driver; and

processing the document as an email message by operation of the secure driver, wherein the secure driver is configured as a plug-in for an email application program and wherein the processing encrypts the email message prior to transmitting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein checking the document comprises

one of parsing the document for a text string indicating that the document is confidential or parsing the document for covert indications that the document is confidential.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the document to the secure driver

further comprises processing the document as a print job of a secure printer, wherein the secure driver comprises a secure printer driver associated with the secure printer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure driver and the non-secure driver communicate with a secure printer and a non-secure printer, respectively, and wherein the secure printer and the non-secure printer are the same printer operating in a secure mode and a non-secure mode, respectively.

5. A system for transmission of documents, comprising:

a parsing unit configured to check a document for an indication of confidentiality;

a secure driver configured for processing the document if the indication of confidentiality is found; and

a non-secure driver configured for processing the document if no indication of confidentiality is found;

wherein the parsing unit is additionally configured to divert the document from the non-secure driver to the secure driver in response to finding the indication of confidentiality and to send notice to a user to report the diversion.

6. A method for securing a document for transmission, comprising:

checking the document for an indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a secure driver, in response to a finding of the indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a non-secure driver, in response to a failure to find the indication of confidentiality;

transmitting the document after processing by the secure driver or the non-secure driver; and

processing the document as an email message by operation of the secure driver, wherein the secure driver is configured as a plug-in for an email application program and wherein the processing allows the email message to go only to authorized addresses.

7. A method for securing a document for transmission, comprising:

checking the document for an indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a secure driver, in response to a finding of the indication of confidentiality;

passing the document to a non-secure driver, in response to a failure to find the indication of confidentiality;

transmitting the document after processing by the secure driver or the non-secure driver;

serving the document as a webpage by operation of the non-secure driver if the document has no indication of confidentiality; and

serving a substitute document as the webpage by operation of the secure driver if the document has an indication of confidentiality;

wherein the non-secure driver and the secure driver are configured for operation within a website host.

8. A system for transmission of documents, comprising:

a parsing unit configured to check a document for an indication of confidentiality;

a secure driver configured for processing the document if the indication of confidentiality is found; and

a non-secure driver configured for processing the document if no indication of confidentiality is found;

wherein the parsing unit is additionally configured to divert the document from the non-secure driver to the secure driver in response to finding the indication of confidentiality and to send notice to a user to report the diversion;

wherein the parsing unit is additionally configured for parsing the document for covert indications that the document is confidential, and the system additionally comprises;

an audit database, updated to reflect the indications of confidentiality discovered by the parsing unit.

9. A system for transmission of documents, comprising:

a parsing unit configured to check a document for an indication of confidentiality;

a secure driver configured for processing the document if the indication of confidentiality is found; and

a non-secure driver configured for processing the document if no indication of confidentiality is found;

wherein the parsing unit is additionally configured to divert the document from the non-secure driver to the secure driver in response to finding the indication of confidentiality and to send notice to a user to report the diversion;

wherein;

the notice to the user comprises a dialog displayed on a user interface; and

the secure driver is a plug-in for an email application and is configured for both encrypting the document and filtering email addresses to which the email application is allowed to send the document.

10. A system for transmission of documents, comprising:

a parsing unit configured to check a document for an indication of confidentiality;

a secure driver configured for processing the document if the indication of confidentiality is found; and

a non-secure driver configured for processing the document if no indication of confidentiality is found;

wherein the parsing unit is additionally configured to divert the document from the non-secure driver to the secure driver in response to finding the indication of confidentiality and to send notice to a user to report the diversion;

wherein;

the notice to the user comprises a print job sent to a non-secure printer and indicates that the document was sent to a secure printer as a print job; and

the secure driver is a secure printer driver configured for use with a secure printer and for processing the document as a print job for the secure printer.