Privacy scoring

• US 8,925,099 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Saxe, James Andrew, Dignan, Thomas Gerardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabor, Amare F
• Application Number:
  US13/828,365
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

Techniques for privacy scoring are disclosed. In some embodiments, privacy scoring includes collecting information associated with an entity; and generating a privacy score based on the private information that was collected that is associated with the entity. In some embodiments, privacy scoring further includes outputting the privacy score. In some embodiments, privacy scoring further includes determining private information that was collected that is associated with the entity.

Claims

1. A system for privacy scoring, comprising:

a processor configured to;

collect information associated with an entity from a plurality of sources, wherein the plurality of sources includes at least one third party source, and wherein the collected information includes private information associated with the entity; and

perform a privacy risk analysis based at least in part on the collected private information, wherein the privacy risk analysis includes determining types of private information included in the collected private information, and wherein performing the privacy risk analysis includes evaluating the private information to determine privacy risks associated with the entity with respect to a plurality of categories;

generate a privacy score based at least in part on the privacy risk analysis, wherein the privacy score comprises a composite privacy risk score across the plurality of categories, and wherein the composite privacy risk score is based at least in part on a base score that is a weighted average of at least a portion of the privacy risks determined with respect to the plurality of categories; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, from the collected information, the private information associated with the entity.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output the privacy score.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output a privacy report that includes the privacy score.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output a privacy report that includes the privacy score, wherein the privacy score corresponds to an overall privacy score.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output a privacy report that includes the privacy score and a recommendation to improve the privacy score.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

alert the entity based on the privacy score.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

periodically collect information associated with the entity; and

update the privacy score.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

periodically collect information associated with the entity;

update the privacy score; and

alert the entity that the privacy score has been updated.

10. A method for privacy scoring, comprising:

collecting information associated with an entity from a plurality of sources, wherein the plurality of sources includes at least one third party source, and wherein the collected information includes private information associated with the entity; and

performing a privacy risk analysis based at least in part on the collected private information, wherein the privacy risk analysis includes determining types of private information included in the collected private information, and wherein performing the privacy risk analysis includes evaluating the private information to determine privacy risks associated with the entity with respect to a plurality of categories;

generating, using a computer processor, a privacy score based at least in part on the privacy risk analysis, wherein the privacy score comprises a composite privacy risk score across the plurality of categories, and wherein the composite privacy risk score is based at least in part on a base score that is a weighted average of at least a portion of the privacy risks determined with respect to the plurality of categories.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, from the collected information, the private information associated with the entity.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting the privacy score.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting a privacy report that includes the privacy score.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting a privacy report that includes the privacy score, wherein the privacy score corresponds to an overall privacy score.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting a privacy report that includes the privacy score and a recommendation to improve the privacy score.

16. A computer program product for privacy scoring, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

collecting information associated with an entity from a plurality of sources, wherein the plurality of sources includes at least one third party source, and wherein the collected information includes private information associated with the entity; and

performing a privacy risk analysis based at least in part on the collected private information, wherein the privacy risk analysis includes determining types of private information included in the collected private information, and wherein performing the privacy risk analysis includes evaluating the private information to determine privacy risks associated with the entity with respect to a plurality of categories;

generating a privacy score based at least in part on the privacy risk analysis, wherein the privacy score comprises a composite privacy risk score across the plurality of categories, and wherein the composite privacy risk score is based at least in part on a base score that is a weighted average of at least a portion of the privacy risks determined with respect to the plurality of categories.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

determining, from the collected information, the private information associated with the entity.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

outputting the privacy score.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

outputting a privacy report that includes the privacy score.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

outputting a privacy report that includes the privacy score, wherein the privacy score corresponds to an overall privacy score.