Access rights management in enterprise digital rights management systems

• US 9,015,854 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US13/328,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 4, 726 26- 28, 713/182, 713/189, 713/193, 380277-278, 707/608, 707/705, 707/781, 707783-785
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• 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 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining access rights to an encrypted document are described. The method comprises receiving a request for obtaining access rights to the encrypted document from a requestor, through an eDRM interface. The method further comprises generating a request inbox corresponding to a granter of the encrypted document. The request inbox contains at least the request received from the requestor. The generated request inbox is sent to the granter through the eDRM interface. The method furthermore comprises obtaining a response to the request from the granter, and providing a status alert indicative of the response to the requestor through the eDRM interface.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining access rights to an encrypted document using an enterprise digital rights management (eDRM) system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for obtaining the access rights to the encrypted document from a requestor, through an eDRM interface, wherein the request comprises details of the encrypted document and a selection of access rights to the encrypted document;

storing the request in a request database, wherein the request database stores a plurality of requests for obtaining the access rights;

determining the requests pending for authorization corresponding to a granter of the encrypted document amongst the plurality of requests from the request database;

generating a request inbox corresponding to the granter based on the determination, wherein the request inbox contains the requests pending for the authorization;

sending the request inbox to the granter through the eDRM interface;

obtaining from the granter a response to each of the requests pending for the authorization in the request inbox, wherein the response is selected from one of granting the request, denying the request, and granting the request with modification; and

providing a status alert to the requestor corresponding to the request through the eDRM interface, wherein the status alert is indicative of the response; and

monitoring the plurality of requests and the response to each of the plurality of requests corresponding to the requestor;

evaluating a risk factor for the requestor based on the monitoring, wherein the risk factor is associated with a predefined threshold; and

generating a risk alert when the risk factor is above the predefined threshold, wherein the risk alert is indicative of a risk associated with the requestor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising initiating a request pending alert for the granter on the eDRM interface, wherein the request pending alert is indicative of the request awaiting the response from the granter.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generating is performed at predetermined time intervals.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generating is performed when the granter clicks on a request inbox tab on the eDRM interface.

5. An enterprise digital rights management (eDRM) server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a rights request module, comprising computer-readable instructions executable by the processor, to;

receive a request for obtaining access rights to an encrypted document from a requestor through an eDRM interface, wherein the request comprises details of the encrypted document and a selection of access rights to the encrypted document;

store the request in a request database, wherein the request database stores a plurality of requests for obtaining the access rights;

determine the requests pending for authorization corresponding to a granter of the encrypted document amongst the plurality of requests from the request database;

generate a request inbox corresponding to the granter based on the determination, wherein the request inbox contains the requests pending for the authorization;

send the request inbox to the granter through the eDRM interface;

obtain from the granter a response to each of the requests pending for the authorization, wherein the response is selected from one of granting the request, denying the request, and granting the request with modification; and

provide the response to the requestor corresponding to the request through the eDRM interface; and

store the response corresponding to each of the requests in the request database; and

a risk evaluation module, comprising the computer-readable instructions executable by the processor, to;

monitor the plurality of requests and the response to each of the plurality of requests corresponding to the requestor;

evaluate a risk factor for the requestor based on the monitoring, wherein the risk factor is associated with a predefined threshold; and

generate a risk alert based on the evaluation, when the risk factor is above the predefined threshold, wherein the risk alert is indicative of the risk associated with the requestor.

6. The eDRM server as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rights request module generates the request inbox at predetermined time intervals.

7. The eDRM server as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rights request module generates the request inbox when the granter clicks on a request inbox tab on the eDRM interface.

8. The eDRM server as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rights request module generates a request pending alert for the granter on the eDRM interface, wherein the request pending alert is indicative of the request awaiting the response from the granter.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method comprising:

receiving a request for obtaining access rights to an encrypted document from a requestor, through an enterprise digital rights management (eDRM) interface, wherein the request includes details of the encrypted document and a selection of access rights to the encrypted document;

storing the request in a request database, wherein the request database stores a plurality of requests for obtaining the access rights;

determining the requests pending for authorization corresponding to a granter of the encrypted document amongst the plurality of requests from the request database;

generating a request inbox corresponding to the granter based on the determination, wherein the request inbox contains at least the requests pending for the authorization;

sending the request inbox to the granter through the eDRM interface;

obtaining a response to each of the requests pending for the authorization from the granter, wherein the response is selected from one of granting the request, denying the request, and granting the request with modification; and

providing a status alert to the requestor corresponding to the request through the eDRM interface, wherein the status alert is indicative of the response; and

evaluating a risk factor for the requestor based in part on data stored in the request database, wherein the data stored in the request database includes the request and the response; and

generating a risk alert based on the evaluating.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9 further comprising initiating a request pending alert for the granter on the eDRM interface, wherein the request pending alert is indicative of the request awaiting the response from the granter.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the generating is performed at predetermined time intervals.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the generating is performed when the granter clicks on a request inbox tab on the eDRM interface.