Methods and systems for providing improved security when using a uniform resource locator (URL) or other address or identifier

• US 20070112774A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cheshire, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• 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 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

Methods and systems for improving security when accessing a URL, such as a Web site. In one exemplary method, a user is warned if a previously unvisited Web site being accessed originated from an email message or other electronic source external to a Web browser being used to access the Web site. Other methods, as well as data processing systems and machine-readable media, are also described.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method comprising:

obtaining a URL;

determining automatically, in response to obtaining the URL, whether to add the URL to a list of trusted URLs.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an input from a user to access a Web site through the URL (Uniform Resource Locator);

verifying if the Web site is deemed to be trusted; and

presenting a warning to the user if the Web site is not trusted.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein verifying if the Web site is trusted comprises determining a host name of the URL and comparing the host name to a history of host names of Web sites visited and indicated to be trusted.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the host name is determined by heuristics based on the URL that is partly comprised of a host name and wherein the host name is further comprised of DNS labels.

5. A method as in claim 2 wherein the verifying if the Web site has been deemed trusted comprises examining a history list containing all sites previously visited by the user and wherein the history list is shared among a plurality of application programs.

6. A method as in claim 2 wherein an electronic document, which includes the URL, is presented through a non-Web browser application program and may be one of an email message, an instant messaging message, a PDF document or any other form of electronic communication or electronic document that can include a URL in its content.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein each entry in the user history list is one of a host name of a site visited by the user and accepted as trusted or a full URL.

8. A method as in claim 5 wherein a listing service run by an operating system maintains and updates the history list and interacts with a plurality of application programs through which the user can access a Web site.

9. A method as in claim 5 wherein entries to the history list are made by an importer program that reports at least a portion of the URL of any Web sites visited by the user using a plurality of application programs.

10. A method as in claim 2 wherein the presenting of the warning to the user further comprises generating and displaying a list of Web sites with similar host names that have been previously visited by the user.

14. A machine-readable medium as in claim 1.2 wherein the verifying if the Web site has been deemed trusted comprises examining a history list containing all sites previously visited by the user and wherein the history list is shared among a plurality of application programs.

15. A machine-readable medium as in claim 14 wherein the electronic document is presented through a non-Web browser application program and may be one of an email message, an instant messaging message, a PDF document or any other form of electronic communication or electronic document that can include a URL in its content.

16. A machine-readable medium as in claim 14 wherein each entry in the history list is one of a full URL or is a host name of a site visited by the user and accepted as trusted.

17. A machine-readable medium as in claim 14 wherein a listing service run by an operating system maintains and updates the history list and interacts with a plurality of application programs through which the user can access a Web site.

18. A machine-readable medium as in claim 14 wherein entries to the history list are made by an importer program that reports at least a portion of the URL of any Web sites visited by the user using a plurality of application programs.

11. A machine-readable medium providing executable program instructions for causing a data processing system to perform a method of managing data, the method comprising:

obtaining a URL;

determining automatically, in response to obtaining the URL, whether to add the URL to a list of trusted URLs.

12. A machine-readable medium as in claim 11 further comprising:

receiving an input from a user to access a Web site through the URL included in an electronic document;

verifying if the Web site is deemed to be trusted; and

presenting a warning to the user if the Web site is not trusted.

13. A machine-readable medium as in claim 12 wherein verifying if the Web site has been deemed trusted comprises determining a host name of the URL and comparing the host name to a history of host names of Web sites visited and indicated to be trusted.

19. A machine-readable medium as in claim 12 wherein the presenting of the warning to the user further comprises generating and displaying a list of Web sites with similar host names that have been previously visited by the user.

20. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving an input from a user to access a Web site through a URL included in an electronic document presented by other than a Web browser;

means for verifying if the Web site has been deemed trusted by at least one of the user or the data processing system; and

means for presenting a warning to the user if the Web site has not been previously accessed.