IP Library Granted Patent US 8,286,255
Granted Patent B2
US 8,286,255 · App. 12/187,794 · Granted Oct 9, 2012

Computer file control through file tagging

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,286,255
App. No.
12/187,794
Granted
Oct 9, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for providing data protection through the detection of tags associated with data or a file. In embodiments the present invention may provide for a step A, where data may be scanned that is intended to be communicated from the client computing facility. In response to step A, at step B, restricted data may be identified by identifying an absence of a tag associated with the data. And finally, in response to step B, at step C, an interruption to the intended communication may be caused.

Claims (30)

1. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

scanning a number of data items on a client computing facility for target content, wherein the target content includes restricted data;

tagging one or more of the data items that do not contain the target content with a tag that is cryptographically signed;

scanning data that is intended to be communicated from the client computing facility;

identifying the restricted data by identifying an absence of the tag associated with the data, thereby providing an identification; and

in response to the identification, causing an interruption in the intended communication of the data according to an enterprise policy including one or more control restrictions placed on communications of data from the client computing facility.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended for an outside recipient.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended for a non-employee recipient.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended for a recipient outside of a corporate network.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all outgoing email.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all outgoing IMs.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all outgoing VoIP.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended for a recipient represented on a block list of recipients.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended to be transferred to a removable memory.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended to be transferred to a memory stick.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein scanning the data includes scanning all data intended to be transferred to an FTP site.

12. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising code that performs the step of selecting a secure communication protocol for the intended communication.

13. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein tagging the one or more data items includes attaching the tag to the data.

14. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein tagging the one or more data items includes attaching metadata to the data.

15. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein tagging the one or more data items includes the step of modifying the filename associated with the data.

16. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a file.

17. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising providing a user interface on the client computing facility that facilitates a tagging of data with a confidentiality tag.

18. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the tagging of data is automatically generated on the client computing facility based on an event.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the event is saving a file.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein saving of the file is automatic.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein saving of the file is initiated by a user.

22. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the event is creating a file.

23. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the event is a scheduled scanning process.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the scheduled scanning process applies tags based on folder location.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the scheduled scanning process applies tags based on data content.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT R/F 053476/0681 Recorded Mar 9, 2021
From: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056469/0815 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053334/0220 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT FIRST LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053124/0350 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SECOND LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053476/0681 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 032152/0883 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 11, 2013
From: SOPHOS PLC
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 030194/0299 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2012
From: RBC EUROPE LIMITED, AS EXISTING ADMINISTRATION AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 028198/0285 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 8, 2011
From: SOPHOS LIMITED F/K/A SOPHOS PLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA EUROPE LIMITED, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 026717/0424 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2008
From: GRANT, CALUM A.; TODOROVIC, RADE; THOMAS, ANDREW J.; JACOBS, RICHARD
To: SOPHOS PLC
Reel/Frame 021597/0890 →