Data security system and method adjunct to e-mail, browser or telecom program

• US 7,191,252 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DigitalDoors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DigitalDoors, Inc.
• Inventors: Redlich, Ron M., Nemzow, Martin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US10/155,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/219, 709/218, 709/244, 705/14, 715/511, 712/201, 704/5, 704/4
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Data security for e-mail or browser-input data operates on identified security sensitive words, characters or icons which are extracted leaving remainder data. Extracted data, in one system, is stored in a remote, extract store in a distributed computer system. Other methods attach an encrypted version of the extract to the email. The browser system operates with an extract store. Remainder data is sent to the addressee or designated web server. The addressee is permitted to retrieve the extracted data from said extract store only in the presence of a security clearance and hence, reconstruct the source e-mail or browser-input data with the extract data. In other systems, the addressee reconstructs the email by decryption and integration. Parsing rather than identifying critical words is an option. The browser method extracts data, facilitates the storage in an extract store, forwards the remainder data to a targeted destination. The financial data or credit card scrubber may use a pop-up window to alert the user to enable the system.

Claims

1. A method of securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons via a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data and remainder data therefrom;

storing said extracted data in respective ones of said extract stores emailing said remainder data to an addressee;

permitting retrieval of said extracted data from said extract stores only in the presence of a respective predetermined security clearance; and

,

reconstructing said email data with said extracted data and remainder data.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including filtering said email data prior to extracting.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter prior to storing said extracted data or emailing said remainder data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of reconstruction includes decrypting one or both of said extracted data and remainder data with respect to one of more of said multiple levels of encryption based upon one or more of said multiple levels of security clearance.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 including in the step of reconstruction including the step of permitting a plurality of partial reconstructions of said email data in the presence of respective ones of said plurality of security clearance levels.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the extracting operates on credit card data, financial data or account.

12. A method of securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons, the method used in conjunction with a distributed computer-based system having a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, and an addressee email device, the method comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in respective ones of said extract stores; and

,

emailing said remainder data to an addressee and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 including filtering said email data prior to extracting.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter prior to storing said extracted data or emailing said remainder data.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

19. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the extracting operates on credit card data, financial data or account.

20. A method of securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain a plurality of extract data grouped into different security levels and remainder data therefrom;

encrypting said extracted data for each said security level and appending said encrypted extracted data with said remainder data to form a composite email;

emailing said composite email to an addressee;

reconstructing said email data from said composite email with decryption of said extracted data only in the presence of a respective predetermined security clearance, required for each said security level.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of reconstruction includes decrypting one or both of said extracted data and remainder data with respect to one of more of said multiple levels of encryption based upon one or more of said multiple levels of security clearance.

26. A method of securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons grouped into different security levels , the method used in conjunction with an addressee email device having a decryption routine, the method comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain a plurality of extracted data for said corresponding plurality of different security levels and remainder data therefrom;

encrypting said extracted data for each said security level and appending said encrypted extracted data with said remainder data to form a composite email; and

emailing said composite email to an addressee.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

29. A method as claimed in claim 26 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

31. A method of securing email data with a parsing algorithm via a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

parsing said email data to obtain extracted data for each said respective security level and remainder data therefrom;

storing said extracted data in said respective extract stores corresponding to said respective security levels emailing said remainder data to an addressee; and

, permitting reconstruction of said email data via said extracted data from respective extract stores and remainder data only in the presence of a respective predetermined security clearance.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of parsing parses the email data granularly.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm which is based on one or more of a bit count, a word, a word count, a page count, a line count, a paragraph count, an identifiable document characteristic, an identifiable word characteristic, an identifiable icon characteristic, an identifiable data object characteristic, capital letters, italics, and underline.

34. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein said email data is financial data and the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm based upon one of characters in said email data and character count in said data.

35. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the parsing of email data operates on credit card data, financial data or account data.

36. A method of securing email data with a parsing algorithm, the method used in conjunction with a distributed computer-based system having a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance and an addressee email device, the method comprising:

parsing said email data to obtain extracted data for respective security levels and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in said extract store corresponding to said respective security level; and

emailing said remainder data to an addressee and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the step of parsing parses the email data granularly.

38. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm which is based on one or more of a bit count, a word, a word count, a page count, a line count, a paragraph count, an identifiable document characteristic, an identifiable word characteristic, an identifiable icon characteristic, an identifiable data object characteristic, capital letters, italics, and underline.

39. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein said email data is financial data and the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm based upon one of characters in said email data and character count in said data.

40. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the parsing operates on email data which is credit card data, financial data or account data.

41. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons via a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data for respective security levels and corresponding extract stores and remainder data therefrom;

storing said extracted data in said respective extract store;

emailing said remainder data to an addressee;

permitting retrieval of said extracted data from said extract stores only in the presence of a respective predetermined security clearance; and

,

reconstructing said email data with said extracted data for a respective security level and remainder data.

42. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 41 including filtering said email data prior to extracting.

43. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 42 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

44. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 43 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

45. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 42 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter prior to storing said extracted data or emailing said remainder data.

46. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 45 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.

47. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 46 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

48. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 47 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

49. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 48 wherein the step of reconstruction includes decrypting one or both of said extracted data and remainder data with respect to one of more of said multiple levels of encryption based upon one or more of said multiple levels of security clearance.

50. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 41 including the step of permitting a plurality of partial reconstructions of said email data in the presence of respective ones of said plurality of security clearance levels.

51. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons, used in conjunction with a distributed computer-based system having a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, and an addressee email device, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data for each respective security level and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in said extract store corresponding to the respective security level; and

,

emailing said remainder data to an addressee and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

52. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 51 including filtering said email data prior to extracting.

53. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 52 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

54. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 53 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

55. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 52 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter prior to storing said extracted data or emailing said remainder data.

56. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 55 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.

57. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 56 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

58. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data for different security levels and remainder data therefrom;

encrypting said extracted data for each respective security level and appending said encrypted extracted data with said remainder data to form a composite email;

emailing said composite email to an addressee;

reconstructing said email data from said composite email with decryption of said extracted data only in the presence of a corresponding predetermined security clearance associated with each said different security level.

59. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 58 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

60. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 59 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

61. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 58 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

62. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 61 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

63. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 62 wherein the step of reconstruction includes decrypting one or both of said extracted data and remainder data with respect to one of more of said multiple levels of encryption based upon one or more of said multiple levels of security clearance.

64. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons, each grouped for a corresponding security level, used in conjunction with an addressee email device having a decryption routine, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said email data to obtain extracted data corresponding to a respective security level and remainder data therefrom;

encrypting said extracted data for each respective security level and appending said encrypted extracted data with said remainder data to form a composite email; and

emailing said composite email to an addressee.

65. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 64 including displaying said security sensitive words, characters or icons in a distinguishing manner prior to extracting.

66. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 65 including permitting one of user selection and user confirmation of said security sensitive words, characters or icons prior to extracting.

67. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 64 including providing multiple levels of encryption and corresponding multiple levels of security clearance.

68. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 67 wherein said remainder data is encrypted with said multiple levels of encryption.

69. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data with a parsing algorithm via a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

parsing said email data to obtain extracted data for respective ones of said security levels and remainder data therefrom;

storing said extracted data in respective extract stores corresponding to said respective security levels;

emailing said remainder data to an addressee; and

,

permitting reconstruction of said email data via said extracted data for each respective security level and remainder data only in the presence of a respective predetermined security clearance associated with said corresponding security level.

70. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 69 wherein the step of parsing parses the email data granularly.

71. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 69 wherein the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm which is based on one or more of a bit count, a word, a word count, a page count, a line count, a paragraph count, an identifiable document characteristic, an identifiable word characteristic, an identifiable icon characteristic, an identifiable data object characteristic, capital letters, italics, and underline.

72. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 69 wherein said email data is financial data and the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm based upon one of characters in said email data and character count in said data.

73. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing email data with a parsing algorithm, used in conjunction with a distributed computer-based system having a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, and an addressee email device, comprising:

parsing said email data to obtain extracted data for respective security levels and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in said respective ones of said extract stores; and

emailing said remainder data to an addressee and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

74. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 73 wherein the step of parsing parses the email data granularly.

75. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 73 wherein the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm which is based on one or more of a bit count, a word, a word count, a page count, a line count, a paragraph count, an identifiable document characteristic, an identifiable word characteristic, an identifiable icon characteristic, an identifiable data object characteristic, capital letters, italics, and underline.

76. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 73 wherein said email data is financial data and the step of parsing uses said parsing algorithm based upon one of characters in said email data and character count in said data.

77. A method of securing data passing through a browser, said data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons, the method deployed in a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said data to obtain extracted data for respective security levels and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in respective ones of said extract stores ; and

forwarding said remainder data to a targeted destination in said distributed computer system and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

78. A method as claimed in claim 77 including filtering said data while extracting.

79. A method as claimed in claim 78 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter after storing said extracted data.

80. A method as claimed in claim 79 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.

81. A method as claimed in claim 77 wherein the extracting step operates on credit data, financial data or account data.

82. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for securing data passing through a browser, said data having one or more security sensitive words, characters or icons, used in conjunction with a distributed computer system with a plurality of remote memories respectively designated as corresponding extract stores, each having a respective security level and clearance, comprising:

extracting said security sensitive words, characters or icons from said data to obtain extracted data for respective security levels and remainder data therefrom;

facilitating the storage of said extracted data in respective ones of said extract stores ; and

forwarding said remainder data to a targeted destination in said distributed computer system and requiring a respective predetermined security clearance for access to corresponding extract stores.

83. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 82 including filtering said data while extracting.

84. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 83 including defining the filter with a group of security sensitive words, characters or icons and the method includes one of storing said filter or destroying said filter after storing said extracted data.

85. A medium with programming instructions as claimed in claim 84 including encrypting one or both of said extracted data and said remainder data.