System and methods for facilitating secure communications on a website

• US 8,826,002 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lan, Gang (Tiger), Fertik, Michael, Mir, Saad, Sparrow, Abbey, Harnois, Jeffrey A. II
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US13/591,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system and methods for facilitating secure communications on a website are presented. The system comprising a security server configured to receive a secure message from a creator device is disclosed. The security server encodes the received message and sends the encoded message or a representation of the encoded message for posting on the website so that one or more users of the website have the ability to request that the security server make the message available after the encoded message has been decoded.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure communications through a social networking website, the method comprising:

acquiring information for enhancing a local version of a social networking website that is or can be displayed at an electronic device, wherein the enhancement is a creator application that allows the sending of a secure message through the social networking website;

receiving, at the electronic device, a message as input from a creator, wherein one or more creator-established rules limit the publication of the message through the social networking website;

sending, by the creator application, the message to a security server, wherein the sent message is or will be encoded;

receiving the encoded message or a reference to the encoded message; and

passing the encoded message or a reference to the encoded message through the social networking website, wherein the passed encoded message is posted so that one or more users of the social networking website have the ability to request that the message be made available after the encoded message has been decoded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the message before sending the message to the security server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising including the one or more creator-established rules with the message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message can be text, one or more image files, one or more audio/visual files, or a link.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions that are executable by an electronic device to cause the electronic device to perform a method for providing secure communications through a social networking website, the method comprising:

acquiring information for enhancing a local version of a social networking website that is or can be displayed at the electronic device, wherein the enhancement is a creator application that allows the sending of a secure message through the social networking website;

receiving, at the electronic device, a message as input from a creator, wherein one or more creator-established rules limit the publication of the message through the social networking website;

sending, by the creator application, the message to a security server, wherein the sent message is or will be encoded;

receiving the encoded message or a reference to the encoded message; and

passing the encoded message or a reference to the encoded message through the social networking website, wherein the passed encoded message is posted so that one or more users of the social networking website have the ability to request that the message be made available after the encoded message has been decoded.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions executable by the electronic device to cause the electronic device to perform:

encoding the message before sending the message to the security server.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions executable by the electronic device to cause the electronic device to perform:

including the one or more creator-established rules with the message.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the message can be text, one or more image files, one or more audio/visual files, or a link.