Method and apparatus for masking non-public data elements in uniform resource indentifiers (“URI”)

• US 9,344,409 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Hofmeister, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODCHILD, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US14/334,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 726/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/588 Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/04 Masking or blinding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/065 Encryption by serially and continuously modifying data stream elements, e.g. stream cipher systems, RC4, SEAL or A5/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0656 Pseudorandom key sequence combined element-for-element with data sequence, e.g. one-time-pad [OTP] or Vernam's cipher
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

Methods may display a URI of a resource. Methods may determine the presence of a non-public data element in the URI. Methods may generate a random number in response to the determination of the presence of the non-public data element. Methods may compute a resultant number based on the exclusive or of the random number and the non-public data element. Methods may substitute the resultant number for the non-public data element in the URI. Methods may transmit the URI and the random number to a server. Methods may receive a resource from the server, in response to the transmission of the URI and the random number to the server. Methods may compute the non-public data element using the random number and the resultant number. Methods may substitute the non-public data element for the resultant number in the URI. Methods may re-determine the URI of the resource.

Claims

1. A hand-held device, said device for masking non-public data elements in uniform resource identifiers, said hand-held device comprising:

a resource;

a uniform resource identifier (“

URI”

), which is configured to identify the resource;

a processor, on said hand-held device, said processor configured to determine, within said hand-held device, the presence of a non-public data element in the URI;

the processor further configured to generate a random number, within said hand-held device, wherein the length of the random number is at least as long as the length of the non-public data element, in response to the determination of the presence of the non-public data element;

the processor further configured to compute, within said hand-held device, a resultant number based on the exclusive disjunction of the random number and the non-public data element; and

the processor further configured to substitute, within said hand-held device, the resultant number for the non-public data element in the URI, said substituting occurring prior to transmission of the URI to a server.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the URI and the random number to a server.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the resource from the server in response to the transmission of the URI and the random number to the server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in response to the determination of the presence of more than one non-public data element, the processor is further configured to create an array of elements, wherein each member of said array is a random number, generated by the processor, corresponding to each non-public data element, wherein each random number is at least as long as the length of the non-public data element to which it corresponds.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to store each random number in a different position in the array of elements, wherein the order in which the random numbers are stored correspond to the order in which the non-public data elements, which the random numbers correspond to, appear in the URI.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to substitute each non-public data element for the corresponding random number in the array of elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the URI and the array of element to a server.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the resource from a server in response to the transmission of the URI and the array of elements to a server.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor configured to determine the presence of a second non-public data element in the URI;

the processor being further configured to generate a second random number, wherein the length of the second random number is at least as long as the length of the second non-public data element, in response to the determination of the presence of the second non-public data element;

the processor further configured to compute a second resultant number based on the exclusive disjunction of the second random number and the second non-public data element; and

the processor further configured to substitute the second resultant number for the second non-public data element in the URI.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the URI, the first random number and the second random number to a server.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the resource from a server in response to the transmission of the URI, the first random number and the second random number to a server.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to transfer the resultant number to hexadecimal form, prior to substituting the resultant number for the non-public data element.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to transfer the resultant number to octal form, prior to substituting the resultant number for the non-public data element.

14. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to transfer the resultant number to binary form, prior to substituting the resultant number for the non-public data element.

15. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to transfer the resultant number to ASCII form, prior to substituting the resultant number for the non-public data element.

16. A hand-held device, said device for masking non-public data elements in uniform resource identifiers, said hand-held device comprising:

a resource;

a uniform resource identifier (“

URI”

), which is configured to identify the resource;

a processor, on said hand-held device, said processor configured to determine, within said hand-held device, the presence of a non-public data element in the URI;

the processor further configured to generate a random number, within said hand-held device, wherein the length of the random number is at least as long as the length of the non-public data element, in response to the determination of the presence of the non-public data element;

the processor further configured to compute, within said hand-held device, a resultant number based on the bitwise modulus 2 addition and/or subtraction of the random number and the non-public data element; and

the processor further configured to substitute, within said hand-held device, the resultant number for the non-public data element in the URI.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the URI and the random number to a server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the resource from the server in response to the transmission of the URI and the random number to the server.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a hand-held device'"'"'s processor on a computer system, perform a method for masking non-public data elements in uniform resource identifiers comprising:

determining, within said hand-held device, a URI of a resource;

determining, within said hand-held device, the presence of a non-public data element in the URI;

generating a random number, within said hand-held device, wherein the length of the random number is at least as long as the length of the non-public data element, in response to the determination of the presence of the non-public data element;

computing a resultant number, within said hand-held device, based on a mathematical calculation of the random number and the non-public data element;

substituting the resultant number, within said hand-held device, for the non-public data element in the URI;

transmitting the URI and the random number, from said hand-held device, to a server;

receiving the resource, at said hand-held device, from the server, in response to the transmission of the URI and the random number to the server; and

computing, within said hand-held device, the non-public data element using the random number and the resultant number; and

substituting, within said hand-held device, the non-public data element for the resultant number in the URI.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising re-determining the URI associated with the resource.