Systems and methods for preventing sensitive information from being communicated into a non-secure environment

• US 8,913,721 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Narayanan, Anantha, Cave, Ellis K., Blaszczak, Bogdan, Broughton, Justin, Rangarajan, Mohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/476,456
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.19, 379/142.02, 379/220.01, 379/265.02, 713/150, 713/183, 713/164, 713/167, 713/186, 713/193, 726/27, 726/1, 726/5, 726/25, 726/26, 345/626, 370/352, 370/401, 370/469, 376/352, 380/44, 455/411, 704/275, 705/1.1, 707/694, 709/208, 709/224, 709/225, 715/741
• US Class Current: 379/88.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A telecommunication system is arranged between a trusted automated interactive system and a non-secure agent. The trusted automated interactive portion is operable for bidirectional communications with a caller. The agent portion is arranged to be bridged onto a communication connection between the caller (or network chat user) and the trusted interactive system under certain conditions. Sensitive data transmitted between the system and a calling user may be blocked from being communicated to the agent even while the agent is bridged onto the connection. In one embodiment, information (such as a verification of authenticity of the caller) pertaining to the sensitive data (but not the sensitive data itself) is communicated to the agent.

Claims

1. A machine comprising:

a. a communication router;

b. a robotic interaction system; and

c. a means for protecting sensitive information;

wherein;

i. the communication router is configured to enable an interaction between a user and an agent by establishing a connection between the user and the agent;

ii. the robotic interaction system is configured to, during the interaction between the user and the agent, receive a response to a request, wherein;

the request is provided to the user; and

the request requests the user to provide sensitive information;

iii. the means for protecting sensitive information is configured to prevent the response to the request from being communicated to the agent.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the communication router comprises an automatic call distribution system.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the communication router comprises a data switch.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein the robotic interaction system comprises a chat bot.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the robotic interaction system comprises an interactive voice recognition system.

6. The machine of claim 1, wherein the means for protecting sensitive information comprises an interrupt circuit.

7. The machine of claim 6 wherein the means for protecting sensitive information consists of the interrupt circuit.

8. The machine of claim 1, wherein the means for protecting sensitive information comprises a processor configured to encrypt the response to the request.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein the robotic interaction system is configure to:

a. use a DTMF detector to detect sensitive information;

b. invoke the means for protecting sensitive information based on the detection of sensitive information.

10. A method comprising:

a. a non-secure agent engaging in bi-directional communication with a system user;

b. inhibiting sensitive information from the system user from being communicated to the non-secure agent while being communicated to a trusted intermediary by performing acts comprising, during an interaction comprising the bi-directional communication, preventing a response from the system user to a request to provide sensitive information from being provided to the non-secure agent; and

c. after inhibiting the sensitive information from said system user from being communicated to said non-secure agent while being communicated to said trusted intermediary, the non-secure agent resuming the interaction, wherein resuming the interaction comprises the non-secure agent engaging in further bi-directional communication with the system user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when, during the interaction, the non-secure agent requires access to data defined by sensitive information in the possession of said system user, the non-secure agent operates a sensitive information button from a plurality of sensitive information buttons.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

a. the operated sensitive information button corresponds to the sensitive information in possession of the system user which defines the data the non-secure agent requires access to; and

b. based on the operation of the sensitive information button corresponding to the sensitive information in possession of the system user which defines the data the non-secure agent requires access to, the trusted intermediary provides the system user the request to provide the sensitive information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a. the request to provide the sensitive information and an additional request to provide sensitive information are provided to both the system user and the non-secure agent; and

b. a response from the system user to the additional request to provide sensitive information is prevented from being provided to the non-secure agent.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a. a comparison is performed between the response from the system user to the request to provide the sensitive information and expected data; and

b. a result of the comparison is provided to the non-secure agent for use in the further bi-directional communication with the system user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the response from the system user to the request to provide sensitive information is prevented from being provided to the non-secure agent via a means for protecting sensitive information.