Methods and systems for removing metadata from an electronic document attached to a message sent from a mobile electronic device

• US 8,977,697 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Litera Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Litera Technology LLC
• Inventors: Massand, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US13/683,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 707694-695, 715229-231
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

A method and system for removing metadata from email attachments sent from mobile devices includes receiving an email with an attached document. The attached document has metadata removed to create a cleansed version of the attached document. The attached document is replaced by the cleansed version of the attached document, and the email is sent according to the address or addresses included in the email.

Claims

1. A computer-based system for cleaning metadata from electronic documents, comprising:

an intermediate computer that is remote from a mobile electronic device sending a message, the intermediate computer including a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to;

execute the instructions to intercept the message sent from the mobile electronic device at the intermediate computer,

execute the instructions to determine that an electronic document attached to the message includes a pre-determined type of metadata,

execute the instructions to automatically remove at least a portion of the pre-determined type of metadata from the attached electronic document,

execute the instructions to create a cleansed version of the attached electronic document, and

execute the instructions to send the message with one of the attached electronic document having the pre-determined type of metadata removed or the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

execute the instructions to replace in the message the attached electronic document with the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to save the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cleansed version of the attached electronic document is an RTF document, a PDF document, a word-processing document, a spreadsheet, a presentation document a diagram document, or a web page document.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for cleaning metadata from an electronic document, the instructions causing one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:

intercepting, at an intermediate computer that is remote from a mobile electronic device, a message sent from the mobile electronic device;

determining that an electronic document attached to the message includes a pre-determined type of metadata;

automatically removing at least a portion of the pre-determined type of metadata from the attached electronic document;

creating a cleansed version of the attached electronic document; and

sending the message with one of the attached electronic document having the pre-determined type of metadata removed or the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

6. The storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions cause the processor to further perform the operations of

replacing in the message the attached electronic document with the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions cause the processor to further perform the operation of saving the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

8. A computer-based system for preventing unauthorized transmission of metadata in electronic documents, comprising:

an intermediate computer that is remote from an electronic device sending a message, the intermediate computer including a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to;

execute the instructions to receive the message having a delivery address and an attached electronic document sent from the electronic device, the attached electronic document including primary data and metadata,

execute the instructions to remove at least a portion of the metadata from the attached electronic document,

execute the instructions to create a cleansed version of the attached electronic document, and

execute the instructions to transmit the message, including one of the attached electronic document that has had the metadata removed or the cleansed version of the attached electronic document, to a destination associated with the delivery address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, when removing the metadata, execute the instructions to remove only pre-determined types of metadata.

10. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to obtain confirmation before transmitting the message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to generate an alert before transmitting the message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute the instructions to request permission to remove the metadata prior to removing the metadata; and

execute the instructions to transmit the message with the attached electronic document that includes the metadata when the permission is denied.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic device includes a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, or a web-mail server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to, when transmitting the message, execute the instructions to forward the message to an email server.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, when transmitting the message, execute the instructions to transmit the message according to delivery instructions.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer system comprises a series of computers.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute the instructions to determine that the metadata includes a pre-specified type of metadata and responsive thereto, the processor does not execute the instructions to perform the removal operation.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, when removing the metadata from the attached document, execute the instructions to remove only pre-specified types of metadata in accordance with a cleansing policy.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for preventing unauthorized transmission of metadata in electronic documents, the instructions causing one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate computer that is remote from an electronic device, a message sent from the electronic device, the message having a delivery address and an attached electronic document including primary data and metadata;

removing at least a portion of the metadata from the attached electronic document;

creating a cleansed version of the attached electronic document, and

transmitting the message, including one of the attached electronic document that has had the metadata removed or the cleansed version of the attached electronic document, to a destination associated with the delivery address.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor, when removing the metadata, to further perform the operation of removing only pre-determined types of metadata.

21. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the electronic device includes a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, or a web-mail server.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the processor, when transmitting the message, to further perform the operation of forwarding the message to an email server.

23. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor, when transmitting the message, to further perform the operation of transmitting the message according to delivery instructions.

24. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer system comprises a series of computers.

25. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor, when removing the metadata from the attached document, to further perform the operation of removing only pre-specified types of metadata in accordance with a cleansing policy.

26. An intermediate computer-based system for cleaning metadata from electronic documents, the intermediate computer-based system being remote from a mobile electronic device configured to send messages and comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to;

execute the instructions to receive a message associated with a destination address and sent from the remote mobile electronic device,

execute the instructions to determine that an electronic document attached to the message includes a pre-determined type of metadata,

execute the instructions to remove the pre-determined type of metadata from the attached electronic document,

execute the instructions to create a cleansed version of the attached electronic document, and

execute the instructions to send, to the destination address, the message with one of the attached electronic document having the pre-determined type of metadata removed or the cleansed version of the attached electronic document.

27. The intermediate computer-based system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute the instructions to request, prior to removing the pre-determined type of metadata, confirmation from the user of the mobile electronic device that the pre-determined type of metadata should be removed.

28. The intermediate computer-based system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute the instructions to enable the user of the mobile electronic device to configure preferences for determining the predetermined type of metadata to be removed.

29. The intermediate computer-based system of claim 28, wherein the predetermined type of metadata is less than all of the metadata in the electronic document.

30. The intermediate computer-based system of claim 26, wherein the intermediate computer-based system is an e-mail server.