PROVISION OF SECURE RSS FEEDS USING A SECURE RSS CATCHER

• US 20070094365A1
• Filed: 10/23/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acoustic, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Silverpop Systems Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Nussey, Bill, Curtin, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A device that resides behind a firewall and receives content to be further directed towards one or more users, such as high-volume emails. The device captures the incoming content that is delivered over a secure communication channel from an external content source and creates personalized RDF or XML files for the intended recipients. The URLs associated with the files include a unique code that is generated using at least a portion of the addressing information or other parameters of the message. An RSS reader can then be employed to read the content from the RDF or XML file.

Claims

1. A system that provides the secured controlled delivery of content to a user, the system comprising:

a content source that is operable to send pushed content items directed towards a user through the use of an address identifier for each content item and utilizing a secured communication channel;

a content catcher residing behind a firewall other than one protecting the content source and is operable to;

receive a pushed content item through the secured communication channel;

based at least in part on at least a portion of the address identifier for the pushed content item, generating a substantially unique identifier;

create an RSS based file having a URL that is based at least in part on the substantially unique identifier and that contains at least a portion of the received pushed content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content catcher is operable to create an RSS based file by creating an XML index file.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the secured communication channel is a VPN.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content catcher is operable to create an RSS based file by creating an RDF index file.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the secured communication channel is a VPN.

6. A method for providing secured controlled delivery of content to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving behind a firewall a content item directed towards an address identifier over a secured communication channel; and

determining if this is the first content item to be received for the address identifier, and if this is the first content item;

creating a URL that is based on a unique value associated with the address identifier;

creating an RSS based index file that is accessible via the URL; and

placing at least a portion of the content of the content item within the RSS based index file, whereby utilizing an RSS reader, a user associated with the address identifier can selectively receive the at least a portion of the content item without being vulnerable to SPAM or phishing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if in the examining step it is determined that this is not the first content item to be received for the address identifier, further comprising the steps of:

performing a look up of a URL that is associated with the address identifier;

modifying an existing RSS based index file associated with the URL by placing at least a portion of the content of the content item within the RSS based index file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of creating a URL that is based on a unique value associated with the address identifier further comprises generating the unique identifier based at least in part on a portion of the address identifier.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of creating a URL that is based on a unique value associated with the address identifier that includes a unique identifier further comprises receiving the unique identifier from a user associated with the address identifier.

10. A method for providing the secured and controlled delivery of content to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving content items to be directed towards one or more users;

for each user intended to receive a content item, determining if any content items have been previously set to that particular user;

if content items have not been previously sent to that particular user;

generating a substantially unique identifier to be associated with the particular user;

creating an RSS based index file that is accessible via a URL that includes the unique identifier; and

placing at least a portion of the content of the content items to be directed to the particular user within the RSS based file; and

if content items have been previously sent to that particular user;

performing a look up of the URL that is associated with the particular user;

modifying an RSS based index file assessable via the URL by placing a portion of the content of the content items to be directed to the particular user within the RSS based file;

whereby utilizing an RSS reader, the particular user can selectively receive the portions of the content items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating a substantially unique identifier further comprises utilizing a hash function that includes an address identifier associated with the particular user as input.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating a substantially unique identifier further comprises utilizing a hash function that includes readily accessible user information associated with the particular user as input.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating a substantially unique identifier further comprises utilizing a hash function that includes information provided by the particular user as input.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a portion of the received content items include an address identifier that is associated with the particular user and, the step of generating a substantially unique identifier further comprises utilizing a hash function that includes the address identifier associated with the particular user as input.

15. A method for providing secured and controlled delivery of content to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving content items at a firewall protected system over a secured communication channel, each content item being directed towards one or more users;

for each particular user that is to receive one or more content items, determining if any content items have been previously received that include certain parameters associated with the particular user;

if content items that include the certain parameters associated with the particular user have not been previously received;

creating a URL that includes a substantially unique identifier;

creating a first RSS based file that is accessible via the URL; and

placing a portion of the content of the content item within the first RSS based file; and

if content items that include the certain parameters associated with the particular user have been previously received;

performing a look up of the URL that is associated with the certain parameters associated with the particular user;

modifying an existing first RSS based file accessible via the URL by placing at least a portion of the content of the content item within the RSS based file; and

placing substantially all of the content of the content item into a second file accessible by a link associated with the portion of the content placed in the first RSS based file;

whereby utilizing an RSS reader, a user associated with the content items that include the certain parameters associated with the particular user can selectively receive the content items outside of the firewall.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content items are email messages and the certain parameters are the email addresses of the email messages.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the content items are email messages and the certain parameters are domain portions of the email addresses, whereby a single RSS based file is created to contain email messages directed towards a particular domain.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view the first RSS based file associated with the URL the step of creating a URL further comprises generating the unique identifier based at least in part on the content of the certain parameters;

requiring the provision of a password prior to granting access to the first RSS based file;

receiving a request to view the second file associated with a link in the first RSS based file; and

requiring the provision of a password prior to granting access to the second RSS based file.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view the first RSS based file associated with the URL the step of creating a URL further comprises generating the unique identifier based at least in part on the content of the certain parameters; and

requiring the provision of a password prior to granting access to the first RSS based file.

19. The method of 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view the second file associated with a link in the first RSS based file; and

requiring the provision of a password prior to granting access to the second RSS based file.