Compiling information obtained by combinatorial searching

• US 7,433,864 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US10/820,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/200, 379/114.14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Included are embodiments for searching sensitive information. At least one embodiment of a method includes searching for a first piece of sensitive information, searching for a second piece of sensitive information, and combining a score associated with the search for the first piece of sensitive information and a score associated with the search for the second piece of sensitive information.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored in memory computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer are configured to perform the following:

search for a first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding at least one user;

search for a second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding the at least one user;

obtain a result of the search for the first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information being of a first type;

obtain a result of the search for the second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information being of a second type, the first type of information being different than the second type of information;

assign a first score, the first score being determined from the number of occurrences of the first piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the first piece of sensitive data;

assign a second score, the second score being determined from the number of occurrences of the second piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the second piece of sensitive data;

combine the first score and the second score;

provide the combined score to a user; and

automatically determine, from the combined, score and a combination of sensitive information types searched, a risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability,

wherein sensitive information includes at least one of the following;

a name, an address, a social security number, a telephone number, and an email address.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood for identity theft and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a magnitude of risk for a privacy breach.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of receiving spam and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the search for the first piece of sensitive information includes a search of one or more web pages.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the search for the second piece of sensitive information includes a search of one or more web pages.

7. A computer method comprising:

searching for a first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding at least one user;

searching for a second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding the at least one user;

obtaining a result of the search for the first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information being of a first type;

obtaining a result of the search for the second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information being of a second type, the first type of information being different than the second type of information;

assigning a first score, the first score being determined from the number of occurrences of the first piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the first piece of sensitive data;

assigning a second score, the second score being determined from the number of occurrences of the second piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the second piece of sensitive data;

combining, by an electronic device, the first score and the second score;

providing, by the electronic device, the combined score to a user; and

automatically determining, from the combined score and a combination of sensitive information types searched, a risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability,

wherein sensitive information includes at least one of the following;

a name, an address, a social security number, a telephone number, and an email address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of identity theft and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of a privacy breach and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a magnitude of risk for receiving spam.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein searching for the first piece of sensitive information includes searching one or more web pages, and wherein searching for the second piece of sensitive information includes searching one or more web pages.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic device includes a personal computer.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores;

a first searching component configured to search for a first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding at least one user;

a second searching component configured to search for a second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information including personal information regarding the at least one user;

a first obtaining component configured to obtain a result of the search for the first piece of sensitive information, the first piece of sensitive information being of a first type;

a second obtaining component configured to obtain a result of the search for the second piece of sensitive information, the second piece of sensitive information being of a second type, the first type of information being different than the second type of information;

a first assigning component configured to assign a first score, the first score being determined from the number of occurrences of the first piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the first piece of sensitive data;

a second assigning component configured to assign a score, the second score being determined from the number of occurrences of the second piece of sensitive data, as revealed in the search for the second piece of sensitive data;

a combining component configured to combine the first score and the second score;

a providing component configured to provide the combined score to a user; and

a determining component configured to automatically determine, from the combined score and a combination of sensitive information types searched, a risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability,

wherein sensitive information includes at least one of the following;

a name, an address, a social security number, a telephone number, and an email address.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of identity theft and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of a privacy breach and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein determining the risk for at least one identity-related vulnerability includes determining a likelihood of receiving spam and classifying the likelihood as a level of risk.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein searching for sensitive information includes searching one or more web pages.