Methods and apparatus for secure online access on a client device

• US 20060047956A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Calvin, Phil
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A method of securely accessing at a client device content from a server without using the non-volatile memory of the client device is disclosed. The bypassing of non-volatile memory lessens the security risk of unauthorized viewing of the server originated content. An transport mechanism is initiated on a client device and creates a document container. Downloaded documents from a server are mapped into the document container and saved within the document container in volatile memory. Substitute menus are generated within the container to replace application menus. User documents are saved directly to the originating server via the substitute menus. The downloaded copies in volatile memory automatically delete when the document container is destroyed thereby reducing security concerns of unauthorized viewing of the content at the client device.

Claims

1. A method for securely providing access to a content file, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting access to a content file;

(b) receiving, from a server, the content file;

(c) storing the received content file in a volatile memory element;

(d) invoking an application program associated with the content file; and

(e) providing a set of replacement menu commands for interacting with the application program, the set of replacement menu commands consistent with a set of menu commands associated with the invoked application program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises requesting access to a content file using an URL moniker.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of instantiating a transport mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (d) comprises:

(d-1) creating, by the transport mechanism, a container instance; and

(d-2) invoking an application program associated with the content file for execution within the created container instance.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating a storage location in a volatile memory element.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a command to save the content file; and

transmitting the content file to the server.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

releasing the memory associated with the content file in the volatile memory element.

8. An apparatus for securely providing access to a content file comprising:

a file transport mechanism;

a storage buffer created by the transport mechanism in a volatile memory element, the file transport mechanism storing a received content file in the storage buffer;

a document container invoked by and in communication with the file transport mechanism, the document container providing a context for execution of an application program associated with the content file, the document container providing a set of replacement menu commands for interacting with the application program, the set of replacement menu commands consistent with a set of menu commands associated with the invoked application program.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the file transport mechanism comprises a dynamically-linked library.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the document container comprises an ActiveX control.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the document container comprises a JAVA applet.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the storage buffer comprises a Win32 file mapping object.

13. A method for securely providing access to a content file, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting access to a content file;

(b) filtering the request by applying pre-determined rules;

(c) receiving, from a server, the content file following said filtering;

(d) storing the received content file in a volatile memory element;

(e) invoking an application program associated with the content file; and

(f) providing a set of replacement menu commands for interacting with the application program, the set of replacement menu commands consistent with a set of menu commands associated with the invoked application program.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (b) further comprises:

modifying said request based on said rules.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein step (b) further comprises:

restricting the at least one of the type and amount of the content requested.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein. said rules are applied based upon a profile of a requesting user.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said rules are applied based upon a category of the content file requested.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said filtering takes place before the request is forwarded to the server.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said filtering takes place after the request is for the server.

20. An article of manufacture having embodied thereon computer-readable program means for securely providing access to a content file, the article of manufacture comprising:

(a) computer-readable program means for requesting access to a content file;

(b) computer-readable program means for receiving, from a server, the content file;

(c) computer-readable program means for storing the received content file in a volatile memory element;

(d) computer-readable program means for invoking an application program associated with the content file; and

(e) computer-readable program means for providing a set of replacement menu commands for interacting with the application program, the set of replacement menu commands consistent with a set of menu commands associated with the invoked application program.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein the computer-readable program means of step (a) further comprises requesting access to a content file using an URL moniker.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20 further comprising:

computer-readable program means for instantiating a transport mechanism.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the computer-readable program means of step (d) further comprises:

(d-1) computer-readable program means for creating, by the transport mechanism, a container instance; and

(d-2) computer-readable program means for invoking an application program associated with the content file for execution within the created container instance.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 20 further comprising:

computer-readable program means for creating a storage location in a volatile memory element.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 20 further comprising:

computer-readable program means for receiving a command to save the content file; and

computer-readable program means for transmitting the content file to the server.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25 further comprising:

computer-readable program means for releasing the memory associated with the content file in the volatile memory element.