Confidential information access via social networking web site

• US 9,210,164 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kritt, Barry A., Law, Douglas A., Sremaniak, Shawn K., Mazzeo, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): GYORFI, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US13/345,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,430 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/28, 726/7, 705/319
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A server computing device for a social networking web site receives from a user, via access of the web site, confidential information regarding the user, including information that the user does not socially share on the web site. The device associates the confidential information with a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user on the web site, and with an export group identifier corresponding to a type of the confidential information. The device associates the export group identifier with a password different from a user password the user employs to access the web site. The device receives, from a third party, a purported user identifier, a purported export group identifier, and a purported password, which the device validates against the user identifier, the export group identifier, and the password. Where validation is successful, the device permits access to the confidential information by the third party.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a storage device storing computer-readable code executable by a processor by a server computing device for a social networking web site and comprising;

first computer-readable code to receive, from a user via access of the social networking web site, confidential information regarding the user, the confidential information including information regarding the user that the user does not socially share on the social networking web site;

second computer-readable code to associate the confidential information regarding the user with a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user on the social networking web site;

third computer-readable code to associate the confidential information regarding the user with an export group identifier corresponding to a type of the confidential information, the export group identifier identifying the type of the confidential information regarding the user and not identifying a group that other human users of the social networking web site are able to join, the export group identifier identifying an export group that includes the confidential information regarding the user having the type to which the export group identifier corresponds; and

,

fourth computer-readable code to associate the export group identifier with a password different from any user password that any user employs to gain access to the social networking web site, the password being required to access the confidential information,

wherein the export group identifier and the password are adapted to be shared by the user to a third party to permit the third party to access the confidential information through the social networking web site using the password, where knowledge of a user name of the user, the export group identifier, and the password are required for the particular third party to input to access the confidential information after the social networking web site has been accessed, the password being different than the export group identifier.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable code further comprises:

fifth computer-readable code to receive, from a third party via access of the social networking web site, a purported user identifier, a purported export group identifier, and a purported password;

sixth computer-readable code to validate the purported user identifier, the purported export group identifier, and the purported password against the user identifier, the export group identifier, and the password, respectively; and

,

seventh computer-readable code to, where validation is successful, permit access to the confidential information regarding the user by the third party.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable code further comprises:

fifth computer-executable code to associate the password with a particular third party selected by the user to access the confidential information, the password different from any password that the particular third party employs to gain access to the social networking web site.

4. A system comprising:

a server computing device;

a social networking web site component implemented at the server computing device to provide a social networking web site;

a confidential information access component implemented at the server computing device to;

receive, from a third party via access of the social networking web site and after the third party has accessed the social networking web site, a purported user identifier, a purported export group identifier, and a purported password;

validate the purported user identifier, the purported export group identifier, and the purported password against a user identifier, an export group identifier, and a password, respectively,

where confidential information regarding a user, including information regarding the user that the user does not socially share on the social networking web site, is associated with the user identifier and with the export group identifier, and the export group identifier is associated with the password,

where the user identifier uniquely identifies the user on the social networking web site, the export group identifier corresponds to a type of the confidential information, and the password is different from any user password that any user employs to gain access to the social networking web site,

where the export group identifier identifying the type of the confidential information regarding the user and not identifying a group that other human users of the social networking web site are able to join, the export group identifier identifying an export group that includes the confidential information regarding the user having the type to which the export group identifier corresponds; and

,

where validation is successful, permit access to the confidential information regarding the user by the third party,

wherein knowledge of the user identifier, the export group identifier, and the password are required for the third party to input to access the confidential information once the third party has accessed the social networking web site, the password being different than the export group identifier.