Secure workflow and data management facility

• US 9,569,596 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Evizone IP Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Marcus, Michael Bernard, Wells, William McDowall
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/263,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Disclosed is a computer program that provides a secure workflow environment through a cloud computing facility, wherein the secure workflow environment may be adapted to (1) provide a plurality of users with a workspace adaptable to provide secure document management and secure communications management, wherein the users comprise at least two classes of user, including a participant and a subscriber, the subscriber having control authority within the workspace that exceeds that of the participant and the participant having control over at least some of the participants own interactions with the workspace, (2) maintain a secure instance of each communication provided by each of the users such that each communication can be managed, (3) maintain a secure instance of each document interaction provided by each user such that each interaction can be managed; and extending the secure workflow environment to the users through a secure network connection.

Claims

1. A system for securely sharing information between a subscriber user and a guest user, comprising:

a subscriber package operating on a subscriber computing device used by the subscriber user and in secure communication with a server, and

a guest package operating on a guest computing device used by the guest user and in secure communication with the server,

wherein the server is configured;

(1) to accept from the subscriber user through the subscriber package the information to be shared with the guest user and a restriction on the guest user'"'"'s interaction with the information, and (2) to fully and exclusively control the guest user'"'"'s interaction with the information through the guest package based on the restriction, and

wherein the subscriber user and the guest user are end users, and

wherein the guest package maintains a secure environment on the guest computing device and is configured to prevent the information from being accessed by the guest computing device or a third party outside of the guest package.

2. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the restriction on the guest user'"'"'s interaction with the information comprises at least one of viewing, altering, printing, copying, saving, storing, retaining, capturing screen shots of or forwarding the information.

3. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of a document, a spreadsheet, a picture, a chat session, an instant message, a video, a video recording, an audio-visual recording, an audio recording, an audio and voice recording, a voice service, a speech-to-text transcription, an internet content, a presentation, an email message, an internet telephone call, a video call, a map, a map layer associated with data, an RSS feed, a computer data file, a computer encoded data file or an annotation.

4. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the information is grouped into a topic by the subscriber user, the subscriber user having exclusive access control over the topic.

5. The system for securely sharing information of claim 4, wherein the server is further configured to automatically organize the information in the topic.

6. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to record an access history of the guest user'"'"'s interaction with the information.

7. The system for securely sharing information of claim 6, wherein the server is configured to generate an audit trail for the information based at least partially on the access history.

8. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the restriction comprises a lifetime.

9. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the restriction comprises a number of views of the information by the guest user.

10. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to confirm that the guest package is properly operating on the guest computing device before transmitting the information to the guest package.

11. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

(1) register at least one of the following;

an authorized guest computing device, an authorized guest user, an authorized guest user email address, or any combination thereof, and (2) verify, each time access to the information is requested, that at least one of the guest computing device or the guest user email address has been pre-approved by a topic-owner.

12. The system for securely sharing information of claim 1, wherein the subscriber package is configured to enable the subscriber user to specify the restriction.

13. A system for securely sharing information between a sender and a recipient user, comprising:

a sender package operating on a sender computing device used by the sender and in secure communication with a server, and

a recipient package operating on a recipient computing device used by the recipient and in secure communication with the server,

wherein the server is configured;

(1) to accept from the sender through the sender package the information to be shared with the recipient and a restriction on the recipient'"'"'s interaction with the information, and (2) to fully and exclusively control the recipient'"'"'s interaction with the information through the recipient package based on the restriction, and

wherein the sender and the recipient are end users, and

wherein the recipient package maintains a secure environment on the recipient computing device and is configured to prevent the information from being accessed by the recipient computing device or a third party outside of the recipient package.

14. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the restriction on the recipient'"'"'s interaction with the information comprises at least one of viewing, altering, printing, copying, saving, storing, retaining, capturing screen shots of or forwarding the information.

15. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the information comprises at least one of a document, a spreadsheet, a picture, a chat session, an instant message, a video, a video recording, an audio-visual recording, an audio recording, an audio and voice recording, a voice service, a speech-to-text transcription, an internet content, a presentation, an email message, an internet telephone call, a video call, a map, a map layer associated with data, an RSS feed, a computer data file, a computer encoded data file or an annotation.

16. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the information is grouped into a topic by the sender, the sender having exclusive access control over the topic.

17. The system for securely sharing information of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to automatically organize the information in the topic.

18. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to record an access history of the recipient'"'"'s interaction with the information.

19. The system for securely sharing information of claim 18, wherein the server is configured to generate an audit trail for the information based at least partially on the access history.

20. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the restriction comprises a lifetime.

21. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the restriction comprises a number of views of the information by the recipient.

22. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to confirm that the recipient package is properly operating on the recipient computing device before transmitting the information to the recipient package.

23. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

(1) register at least one of the following;

an authorized recipient computing device, an authorized recipient, an authorized recipient email address, or any combination thereof, and (2) verify, each time access to the information is requested, that at least one of the recipient computing device or the recipient email address has been pre-approved by a topic-owner.

24. The system for securely sharing information of claim 13, wherein the sender package is configured to enable the sender to specify the restriction.