Systems and methods for delegation and notification of administration of internet access

• US 8,499,337 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Kenny, Shane, Kenny, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US11/244,542
• Time in Patent Office: 2,854 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for delegating administrative rights to a third party in an Internet access control application comprising receiving a designation of a third party wherein the designation identifies the third party as a recipient of administrative rights in an access control application, and receiving a selection of administrative rights to be associated with the third party. Further, an invitation can be sent, or caused to be sent, to the third party. Acceptance of said invitation can be received. Also, administrative rights can be granted to the third party. The systems, methods, and computer readable media can be operable within a client/server architecture. Also disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for notification of an access policy violation. Also disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for administration of an access control application by a third party and access policy violation notification.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a signal based on a determination that a set of notifiable violations of an Internet access policy detected at an endpoint computing device over a period of time exceeds a threshold number of notifiable violations for the period of time, wherein the set of notifiable violations is included in a plurality of violations detected over the period of time, the plurality of violations also including a set of non-notifiable violations in addition to the set of notifiable violations;

determining a notification to send in response to receiving the signal;

determining a recipient of the notification; and

sending the notification to the recipient based at least in part on the determination that the set of notifiable violations exceeds the threshold number, wherein notifiable violations include attempts, by one or more users associated with the endpoint computing device, to access a particular set of websites identified, by a third-party administrator designated by the one or more users, as violating the Internet access policy and eligible to trigger notification of the recipient, and non-notifiable violations by the one or more users do not trigger notification of the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the recipient of the notification to terminate Internet access associated with a user account associated with the plurality of violations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification includes a prompt operable to cause the command to terminate Internet access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is caused to be sent via an electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is caused to be sent via an instant message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is caused to be sent via a voice message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is caused to be sent via a text message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification identifies the one or more users.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more users is a plurality of users and the recipient is one of the plurality of users.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attempts is specified, at least, in part by the one or more users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is defined, at least partially, by the one or more users.

12. A system of notification of an Internet access policy violation comprising:

a server; and

a first access control application resident in the server in communication with a second application resident in a client, wherein the first access control application is configured to;

receive a signal from the second application resident in the client in response to a determination that a set of notifiable violations of an Internet access policy detected over a period of time exceeds a threshold number of notifiable violations for the period of time;

determine a notification type to send in response to receiving the signal;

determine a recipient of the notification; and

send the notification to the recipient based at least in part on the determination that the set of notifiable violations exceeds the threshold number, wherein notifiable violations include attempts, by one or more users associated with the endpoint computing device, to access a particular set of websites identified, by a third-party administrator designated by the one or more users, as violating the Internet access policy and eligible to trigger notification of the recipient, and non-notifiable violations by the one or more users do not trigger notification of the recipient.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first access control application is further configured to:

receive a command from the recipient of the notification to terminate Internet access associated with a user account associated with the plurality of violations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first access control application is further configured to:

cause the notification to be sent via an email.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first access control application is further configured to:

cause the notification to be sent via an instant message.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first access control application is further configured to:

cause the notification to be sent a voice message.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first access control application is further configured to:

cause the notification to be sent via a text message.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein said computer executable instructions cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal based on a determination that a set of notifiable violations of an internet access policy detected at an endpoint computing device over a period of time exceeds a threshold number of notifiable violations for the period of time, wherein the set of notifiable violations is included in a plurality of violations detected over the period of time, the plurality of violations also including a set of non-notifiable violations in addition to the set of notifiable violations;

determining a notification to send in response to receiving the signal;

determining a recipient of the notification; and

sending the notification to the recipient based at least in part on the determination that the set of notifiable violations exceeds the threshold number, wherein notifiable violations include attempts, by one or more users associated with the endpoint computing device, to access a particular set of websites identified, by a third-party administrator designated by the one or more users, as violating the internet access policy and eligible to trigger notification of the recipient, and non-notifiable violations by the one or more users do not trigger notification of the recipient.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further having computer executable instructions embodied thereon comprising:

receiving a command from the recipient of the notification to terminate Internet access associated with a user account associated with the plurality of violations.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions embodied thereon cause the notification to be sent via an electronic mail.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions embodied thereon cause the notification to be sent via an instant message.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions embodied thereon cause the notification to be sent via a voice message.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions embodied thereon cause the notification to be sent via a text message.