Methods and systems for providing improved security when using a uniform resource locator (URL) or other address or identifier
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for improving security when accessing a URL, such as a Web site. In one exemplary method, a user is warned if a previously unvisited Web site being accessed originated from an email message or other electronic source external to a Web browser being used to access the Web site. Other methods, as well as data processing systems and machine-readable media, are also described.
1. A machine implemented method comprising:
obtaining a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) from an input source;
determining whether the input source includes typing by a user who is seeking to access a resource at the URL;
determining, by a data processing system in response to obtaining the URL, whether to add the URL to a list of trusted URLs, wherein if the input source includes typing by the user, the URL is added to the list of trusted URLs;
receiving an input from the user to access a Web site through the URL (Uniform Resource Locator);
verifying if the Web site is determined to be trusted, wherein verifying if the Web site is trusted comprises determining a host name of the URL and comparing the host name to a history of host names of Web sites visited and indicated to be trusted; and
presenting a warning to the user if the Web site is not trusted.
2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the host name is determined by heuristics based on the URL that is partly comprised of a host name and wherein the host name is further comprised of DNS labels.
3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the verifying if the Web site has been deemed trusted comprises examining a history list containing all sites previously visited by the user and wherein the history list is shared among a plurality of application programs.
4. The method as in claim 3 wherein each entry in the user history list is one of a host name of a site visited by the user and accepted as trusted or a full URL.
5. The method as in claim 3 wherein a listing service run by an operating system maintains and updates the history list and interacts with a plurality of application programs through which the user can access a Web site.
6. The method as in claim 3 wherein entries to the history list are made by an importer program that reports at least a portion of the URL of any Web sites visited by the user using a plurality of application programs.
7. The method as in claim wherein an electronic document, which includes the URL, is presented through a non-Web browser application program and may be one of an email message, an instant messaging message, a PDF document or any other form of electronic communication or electronic document that can include a URL in its content.
8. The method as in claim 1 wherein the presenting of the warning to the user further comprises generating and displaying a list of Web sites with similar host names that have been previously visited by the user.
9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium providing executable program instructions for causing, when executed, a data processing system to perform a method of managing data, the method comprising:
obtaining a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) from an input source;
determining whether the input source includes typing by a user who is seeking to access a resource at the URL;
determining, by a data processing system in response to obtaining the URL, whether to add the URL to a list of trusted URLs, wherein if the input source includes typing by the user, the URL is added to the list of trusted URLs;
receiving an input from the user to access a Web site through the URL included in an electronic document;
verifying if the Web site is determined to be trusted, wherein verifying if the Web site is trusted comprises determining a host name of the URL and comparing the host name to a history of host names of Web sites visited and indicated to be trusted; and
presenting a warning to the user if the Web site is not trusted.
10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 9 wherein the verifying if the Web site has been determined trusted further comprises examining a history list containing all sites previously visited by the user and wherein the history list is shared among a plurality of application programs.
11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10 wherein the electronic document is presented through a non-Web browser application program and may be one of an email message, an instant messaging message, a PDF document or any other form of electronic communication or electronic document that can include a URL in its content.
12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10 wherein each entry in the history list is one of a full URL or is a host name of a site visited by the user and accepted as trusted.
13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10 wherein a listing service run by an operating system maintains and updates the history list and interacts with a plurality of application programs through which the user can access a Web site.
14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10 wherein entries to the history list are made by an importer program that reports at least a portion of the URL of any Web sites visited by the user using a plurality of application programs.
15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 9 wherein the presenting of the warning to the user further comprises generating and displaying a list of Web sites with similar host names that have been previously visited by the user.
16. An apparatus comprising:
means for obtaining a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) from an input source;
means for determining whether the input source includes typing by a user who is seeking to access a resource at the URL;
means for determining, by a data processing system in response to obtaining the URL, whether to add the URL to a list of trusted URLs, wherein if the input source includes typing by the user, the URL is added to the list of trusted URLs;
means for receiving an input from the user to access a Web site through the URL included in an electronic document;
means for verifying if the Web site is determined to be trusted, wherein verifying if the Web site is trusted comprises determining a host name of the URL and comparing the host name to a history of host names of Web sites visited and indicated to be trusted; and
means for presenting a warning to the user if the Web site is not trusted.