Systems and methods for protecting information

• US 8,958,557 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Watson, Joseph, Smith, Damian, Barnes, Robert John
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US12/768,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20100202611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

Systems and methods for protecting information provided to an agent via a communication network are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises, receiving information related to a transaction, wherein the information includes video. Additionally, the method includes initiating a recording of the video and identifying visual content in the video that is to be protected. The method further comprises preventing unauthorized access to the visual content during replay of the recording of the video.

Claims

1. A method for protecting recorded content, the method comprising:

receiving an information stream from a communication network, wherein the information stream is related to a real-time transaction between an agent and a party, and wherein the information includes video;

recording the information stream;

determining, by an electronic monitoring system, when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with visual content that has been predetermined to be protected; and

preventing unauthorized access to the visual content during replay of the recording by stopping the recording during a time in which the visual content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and restarting the recording after the time has lapsed such that the visual content is not recorded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein preventing the unauthorized access comprises modifying the visual content to produce modified visual content such that the modified visual content is unintelligible to a user unless the user possesses an authorization to access the visual content.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein modifying the visual content comprises masking the visual content.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein modifying the visual content comprises encrypting the visual content.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising stitching together a portion of the recording that preceded the time in which the visual content is expected to be provided with a portion of the recording that succeeded the time in which the visual content is expected to be provided.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information stream includes audio, and wherein the method further comprises:

predicting when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with audio content that has been predetermined to be protected; and

preventing unauthorized access to the audio content during replay of the recording by stopping the recording during a time in which the audio content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and restarting the recording after the time has lapsed such that the audio content is not recorded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network receives information from a workstation associated with the agent.

8. An electronic monitoring system for protecting recorded content comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive an information stream from a communication network, wherein the information stream is related to a real-time transaction between an agent and a party and wherein the information includes video; and

an electronic processor configured to record the information stream, to determine when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with visual content that has been predetermined to be protected, and to prevent unauthorized access to the visual content during replay of the recording by stopping the recording during a time in which the visual content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and restarting the recording after the time has lapsed such that the visual content is not recorded.

10. The monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the modified visual content comprised masked visual content.

11. The monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the modified visual content comprises encrypted visual content.

12. The monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the communication network receives information from a workstation associated with the agent.

9. A system for protecting recorded content comprising:

a recording system configured to receive an information system from a communication network and to record the information stream, wherein the information stream is related to a real-time transaction between an agent and a party, and wherein the information includes video; and

an electronic monitoring system in communication with the recording system and configured to, to determine when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with visual content that has been predetermined to be protected, and to prevent unauthorized access to the visual content during replay of the recording by requesting the recording system to stop the recording during a time in which the visual content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and requesting the recording system to restart the recording after the time has lapsed such that the visual content is not recorded.

13. A system for protecting recorded content comprising:

a recording system configured to receive an information stream from a communication network and to record the information stream, wherein the information stream is related to a real-time transaction between an agent and a party, and wherein the information includes video; and

a monitoring system in communication with the recording system and configured to, to determine when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with visual content that has been predetermined to be protected, and to prevent unauthorized access to the visual content during replay of the recording by requesting the recording system to stop the recording during a time in which the visual content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and requesting the recording system to restart the recording after the time has lapsed such that the visual content is not recorded.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the monitoring system, to prevent the unauthorized access, modifies the visual content to produce modified visual content such that the modified visual content is unintelligible to a user unless the user possesses an authorization to access the visual content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein to modify the visual content, the monitoring system masks the visual content.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein to modify the visual content, the monitoring system encrypts the visual content.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the recording system is further configured to stitch together a portion of the recording that preceded the time in which the visual content is expected to be provided with a portion of the recording that succeeded the time in which the visual content is expected to be provided.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the information includes audio, and wherein the monitoring system is further configured to predict when during the real-time transaction the agent is expected to be provided with audio content that has been predetermined to be protected, and to prevent unauthorized access to the audio content during replay of the recording by requesting the recording system to stop the recording during a time in which the audio content that is to be protected is expected to be provided during the transaction and requesting the recording system to restart the recording after the time has lapsed such that the audio content is not recorded.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication network receives information from a workstation associated with the agent.