IP Library Granted Patent US 7,509,384
Granted Patent B1
US 7,509,384 · App. 12/128,746 · Granted Mar 24, 2009

Integrated method of ensuring instant messaging security on confidential subject matter

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,509,384
App. No.
12/128,746
Granted
Mar 24, 2009
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method for securing chat sessions containing confidential subject matter during instant messaging from external entities is provided. The method, comprising: building a set of rules used to determine when a chat session between a first chat party and a second chat party during an instant messaging session contains confidential or uniquely classified subject matter; and securing the contents in the chat session based on pre-defined user settings, the contents in the chat session being secured when the contents in the chat session is determined to contain confidential subject matter derived from the set of rules, the chat session is further secured by limiting the exposure of the contents in the chat session to third parties when the chat session is determined to contain confidential subject matter while enabling the first chat party and the second chat party to view the contents in the chat session.

Claims (6)

1. A method for securing chat sessions containing confidential subject matter during instant messaging from external entities, the method comprising:

continuously building and updating a set of rules used to determine when a chat session between a first chat party and a second chat party during an instant messaging session contains confidential or uniquely classified subject matter by loading at least one default rules or previous session rules and enabling a user to provide user-defined rules until the instant message session is ended;

wherein the determination is performed by continually monitoring the chat session during the instant message session and looking at a pre-established context and associated relationship of keywords; and

securing the contents in the chat session based on pre-defined user settings, the contents in the chat session being secured when the contents in the chat session is determined to contain confidential subject matter derived from the set of rules, the pre-defined user settings includes at least saving all confidential transcript of the chat session to a secured directory, encrypting the chat session transcript or not logging the transcript of the chat session transcript, the chat session is further secured by limiting the exposure of the contents in the chat session to third parties when the chat session is determined to contain confidential subject matter while enabling the first chat party and the second chat party to view the contents in the chat session.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the set of rules is built through a rules engine module, the rules engine module leverages the integration of an instant messaging application and mail software installed in a computing device, the instant messaging application enables the instant messaging session.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the rules engine module is configured to automatically sweep across a mail file of the first chat party for emails marked as classified and collect keywords from emails marked as classified, the collected keywords being used to build the set of rules.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 2, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044101/0610 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2011
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 026131/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2008
From: CHEN, JIM C.; KUNDINGER, CHRISTOPHER J
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
Reel/Frame 021013/0190 →