Email effectivity facility in a networked secure collaborative exchange environment

• US 9,553,860 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Meyer, Jerry Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US14/207,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for managing access to a secure exchange environment managed by an intermediate business entity through a user email identity, the method comprising establishing a secure exchange server hosted by an intermediate business entity, wherein communications and access to a collection of files established by a first business entity are managed for a second business entity; and establishing an email effectivity facility that allows a user of the first business entity to specify a condition for email-based access to at least one resource in the collection of files, wherein the condition expresses (a) an effective period for using an email providing access to the resource and (b) a condition of email access to the resource by a designated individual of the second business entity, wherein the access permission was assigned using a specific email address of the designated individual.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to a secure exchange environment managed by an intermediate business entity, the method comprising:

establishing a secure exchange server hosted by an intermediate business entity, wherein communications and access to a collection of files established by a first business entity are managed to allow conditional secure access to resources of the collection of files by individuals of a second business entity different than the first business entity; and

establishing an email effectivity facility, managed by the secure exchange server, that allows a user of the first business entity to specify conditions for email-based access by a designated individual of the second business entity to at least one resource in the collection of files of the first business entity through an embedded link in an email message provided by the email effectivity facility to the designated individual of the second business entity, wherein the conditions include (a) an effective period for using the embedded link to provide access to the at least one resource and (b) an event condition of email access to the resource by the designated individual of the second business entity,

wherein an access permission is assigned using at least one individual user email identity including at least one specific email account of the designated individual of the second business entity, and wherein the email effectivity facility provides access confirmation to allow access to the at least one resource if the conditions are met.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating multiple specific email accounts with the at least one individual user email identity of the designated individual of the second business entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the designated individual is permitted access to the resource during the effective period for using the email message to provide access to the at least one resource from any current email account that is associated with the identity of the designated individual of the second business entity.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising managing separate access conditions for each of the multiple email accounts of the designated individual of the second business entity.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second business entities validate the designated individual'"'"'s access permission associated with the multiple email accounts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first business entity provides updates to the conditions for email-based access as an association of the designated individual of the second business entity with the first business entity changes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the effective time period is a period of employment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the effective time period is a stage of a transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the email effectivity facility utilizes a graphical user interface to allow the user of the first business entity to specify the conditions for email-based access.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface indicates the status of the conditions for email-based access.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface is integrated into a third-party application as an application program interface (API).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions of email access further include a status of an email account of the designated individual of the second business entity, and the status of the email account continues to be monitored when the designated individual of the second entity is no longer employed by the second business entity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering the de-permissioning of the specific email account of the designated individual when the condition that an appearance of a new email account with a different company domain for the designated individual is detected.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the event condition is related to a change to a business association between the first business entity and the designated individual of the second business entity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the business association is a joint business transaction associated with a due diligence, wherein the event condition is the termination of the due diligence activity between the first business entity and the second business entity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the event condition is related to a change to a business association between the second business entity and the designated individual of the second business entity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the business association between the second business entity and the designated individual of the second business entity is associated with employment of the designated individual.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the event condition is related to a change of email identity of the designated individual of the second business entity.