Managing sensitive content

• US 9,047,472 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Riordan, James C., Szeto, Jack W., Vennam, Ramratan, Wolf, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, JENISE E
• Application Number:
  US13/740,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20140201805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/26, 726/28, 726/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means

Abstract

A method, system or computer usable program product for automatically removing sensitive content from a display responsive to removal of user physical proximity from a computer peripheral including utilizing a predefined policy stored in persistent memory for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a criterion, wherein the criterion is a removal of user contact with the computer peripheral, and responsive to detecting the criterion with a processor, performing a removal action related to displaying sensitive content according to the predefined policy.

Claims

1. A method of automatically hiding sensitive content from a display responsive to removal of user physical proximity from a computer peripheral comprising:

utilizing a set of predefined policies stored in persistent memory for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a criterion, wherein the criterion is a removal of user contact with the computer peripheral;

responsive to detecting the criterion with a processor and identifying an environment where the display is located, determining a corresponding hiding action for each item of displayed sensitive content based on a ranking of each item of sensitive content and the identified environment according to the set of predefined policies;

performing the determined hiding action corresponding to the each item of displayed sensitive content according to the set of predefined policie; and

in response to determining that two items of sensitive content sharing a common displayed area have different hiding actions, performing the hiding action corresponding to the item of sensitive content with the highest sensitivity rank for the two items of sensitive content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the criterion is the removal of user contact with the computer peripheral selected from a group consisting of detecting the user looking away from the computer peripheral and the user breaking physical contact with the peripheral.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the criterion is a physical contact to a peripheral selected from a group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a laptop casing, and a peripheral.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the hiding action is performed immediately in response to detecting the criterion.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the hiding action is selected from a group consisting of hiding, minimizing, screen saving, password prompting, running a script, and running a program to hide the sensitive content.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing a predefined policy for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a second criterion, wherein the second criterion is detecting user contact with the computer peripheral, and responsive to detecting the second criterion subsequent to detecting the first criterion, displaying the sensitive content according to the predefined policy.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising utilizing a predefined policy for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a second criterion, wherein the second criterion is detecting user contact with the computer peripheral;

and responsive to detecting the second criterion subsequent to detecting the first criterion, displaying the sensitive content according to the predefined policy;

wherein the hiding action is performed immediately in response to detecting the criterion;

wherein the hiding action is selected from a group consisting of hiding, minimizing, screen saving, password prompting, running a script, and running a program to hide the sensitive content.

8. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable non-transitory storage medium including computer usable code for use in automatically hiding sensitive content from a display responsive to removal of user physical proximity from a computer peripheral, the computer usable program product comprising code for performing the steps of:

utilizing a set of predefined policies stored in persistent memory for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a criterion, wherein the criterion is a removal of user contact with the computer peripheral;

responsive to detecting the criterion with a processor and identifying an environment where the display is located, determining a corresponding hiding action for each item of displayed sensitive content based on a ranking of each item of sensitive content and the identified environment according to the set of predefined policies;

performing the determined hiding action corresponding to the each item of displayed sensitive content according to the set of predefined policies; and

in response to determining that two items of sensitive content sharing a common displayed area have different hiding actions, performing the hiding action corresponding to the item of sensitive content with the highest sensitivity rank for the two items of sensitive content.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 8 wherein the criterion is the removal of user contact with the computer peripheral selected from a group consisting of detecting the user looking away from the computer peripheral and the user breaking physical contact with the peripheral.

10. The computer usable program product of claim 9 wherein the criterion is a physical contact to a peripheral selected from a group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a laptop casing, and a peripheral.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 9 wherein the hiding action is performed immediately in response to detecting the criterion.

12. The computer usable program product of claim 9 wherein the hiding action is selected from a group consisting of hiding, minimizing, screen saving, password prompting, running a script, and running a program to hide the sensitive content.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 8 further comprising utilizing a predefined policy for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a second criterion, wherein the second criterion is detecting user contact with the computer peripheral, and responsive to detecting the second criterion subsequent to detecting the first criterion, displaying the sensitive content according to the predefined policy.

14. A data processing system for automatically hiding sensitive content from a display responsive to removal of user physical proximity from a computer peripheral, the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a persistent memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute the steps of;

utilizing a set of predefined policies stored in persistent memory for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a criterion, wherein the criterion is a removal of user contact with the computer peripheral;

responsive to detecting the criterion with the processor and identifying an environment where the display is located, determining a corresponding hiding action for each item of displayed sensitive content based on a ranking of each item of sensitive content and the identified environment according to the set of predefined policies;

performing the determined hiding action corresponding to the each item of displayed sensitive content according to the set of predefined policies; and

in response to determining that two items of sensitive content sharing a common displayed area have different hiding actions, performing the hiding action corresponding to the item of sensitive content with the highest sensitivity rank.

15. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the criterion is the removal of user contact with the computer peripheral selected from a group consisting of detecting the user looking away from the computer peripheral and the user breaking physical contact with the peripheral.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the criterion is a physical contact to a peripheral selected from a group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a laptop casing, and a peripheral.

17. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the hiding action is performed immediately in response to detecting the criterion.

18. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the hiding action is selected from a group consisting of hiding, minimizing, screen saving, password prompting, running a script, and running a program to hide the sensitive content.

19. The data processing system of claim 14 further comprising utilizing a predefined policy for monitoring user interaction with a computer peripheral for a second criterion, wherein the second criterion is detecting user contact with the computer peripheral, and responsive to detecting the second criterion subsequent to detecting the first criterion, displaying the sensitive content according to the predefined policy.