Apparatus and method for social account access control

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

building, by a computer, a data set that defines a normative base line for a social media account on a social network, the data set containing:

a snapshot of metadata of the social media account at a point in time,

a machine learning algorithm trained via a training set that uses aspects of a pattern of content previously posted to the social media account on the social network,

account entity data pulled from a data store owned by an entity that owns the social media account on the social network, and

rules governing authorized and unauthorized changes to the social media account, the rules including a rule identifying a content type or data element that is not allowed for the social media account,

wherein the building includes making a call to an application programming interface (API) of the social network to obtain the content previously posted to the social media account on the social network;

monitoring, by the computer, the social media account, the monitoring utilizing the normative base line defined by the computer and comprising querying the social network for at least the metadata of the social media account on a periodic basis and comparing the metadata of the social media account queried from the social network with the snapshot of metadata of the social media account at the point in time as defined in the normative base line;

detecting, by the computer based at least on the metadata of the social media account from the social network, a change to the social media account;

determining, by the computer, whether the change to the social media account is authorized, the determining comprising:

comparing the change to the social media account to the normative base line defined by the data set, the comparing including applying the rules to the change to the social media account; and

identify whether the change represents a deviation from the normative base line, the identifying including determining, based on the rule contained in the data set, whether the change includes unauthorized content of the content type or includes the data element that is not allowed for the social media account;

in response to a determination by the computer that the change to the social media account is not authorized based on an identification of the deviation from the normative base line, removing unauthorized content from the social media account;

requesting approval of the change by generating and sending a notification through an electronic communication to at least one system administrator; and

responsive to the change to the social media account not being approved by the at least one system administrator, reverting the social media account back to an original authorized setting in the normative base line.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata gathered through the API call includes at least one of account settings, profile images, configuration information, a list of users with administrative rights, a list of detailed permissions for each user in the list of users, addresses, URLs, display names, or identifiers.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the account entity data includes Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) user directories.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic communication comprises email, text message, instant message, or message on the social media account.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the data set further includes machine learning algorithms and data including machine learning training sets that were prepared using aspects of previous patterns of content posted to the social media account.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to the change to the social media account being approved by the at least one system administrator, updating the normative base line with the change to the social media account to authorize subsequent changes to the social media account, the subsequent changes having same type as the change to the social media account.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the snapshot of the metadata of the social media account includes a list of administrative users of the social media account, the method further including the steps of:

monitoring changes to the list of administrative users of the social media account on the social network;

comparing the list of administrative users of the social media account on the social network to a list of permissible administrative users in the normative base line; and

removing any administrative users of the social media account on the social network that are not included in the list of permissible administrative users in the normative base line.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the social media account is accessible by a group of subscribers.

9. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions translatable by a processor for:

building a data set that defines a normative base line for a social media account on a social network, the data set containing:

a snapshot of metadata of the social media account at a point in time,

a machine learning algorithm trained via a training set that uses aspects of a pattern of content previously posted to the social media account on the social network,

account entity data pulled from a data store owned by an entity that owns the social media account on the social network, and

rules governing authorized and unauthorized changes to the social media account, the rules including a rule identifying a content type or data element that is not allowed for the social media account,

wherein the building includes making a call to an application programming interface (API) of the social network to obtain the content previously posted to the social media account on the social network;

monitoring the social media account, the monitoring utilizing the normative base line defined by the computer and comprising querying the social network for at least the metadata of the social media account on a periodic basis and comparing the metadata of the social media account queried from the social network with the snapshot of metadata of the social media account at the point in time as defined in the normative base line;

detecting, based at least on the metadata of the social media account from the social network, a change to the social media account;

determining whether the change to the social media account is authorized, the determining comprising:

comparing the change to the social media account to the normative base line defined by the data set, the comparing including applying the rules to the change to the social media account; and

identify whether the change represents a deviation from the normative base line, the identifying including determining, based on the rule contained in the data set, whether the change includes unauthorized content of the content type or includes the data element that is not allowed for the social media account;

in response to a determination that the change to the social media account is not authorized based on an identification of the deviation from the normative base line, removing unauthorized content from the social media account;

requesting approval of the change by generating and sending a notification through an electronic communication to at least one system administrator; and

responsive to the change to the social media account not being approved by the at least one system administrator, reverting the social media account back to an original authorized setting in the normative base line.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the metadata gathered through the API call includes at least one of account settings, profile images, configuration information, a list of users with administrative rights, a list of detailed permissions for each user in the list of users, addresses, URLs, display names, or identifiers.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the account entity data includes Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) user directories.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

responsive to the change to the social media account being approved by the at least one system administrator, updating the normative base line with the change to the social media account to authorize subsequent changes to the social media account, the subsequent changes having same type as the change to the social media account.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

stored instructions translatable by the processor for:

building a data set that defines a normative base line for a social media account on a social network the data set containing:

a snapshot of metadata of the social media account at a point in time,

a machine learning algorithm trained via a training set that uses aspects of a pattern of content previously posted to the social media account on the social network,

account entity data pulled from a data store owned by an entity that owns the social media account on the social network, and

rules governing authorized and unauthorized changes to the social media account, the rules including a rule identifying a content type or data element that is not allowed for the social media account,

wherein the building includes making a call to an application programming interface (API) of the social network to obtain the content previously posted to the social media account on the social network;

monitoring the social media account, the monitoring utilizing the normative base line defined by the computer and comprising querying the social network for at least the metadata of the social media account on a periodic basis and comparing the metadata of the social media account queried from the social network with the snapshot of metadata of the social media account at the point in time as defined in the normative base line;

detecting, based at least on the metadata of the social media account from the social network, a change to the social media account;

determining whether the change to the social media account is authorized, the determining comprising:

comparing the change to the social media account to the normative base line defined by the data set, the comparing including applying the rules to the change to the social media account; and

identify whether the change represents a deviation from the normative base line, the identifying including determining, based on the rule contained in the data set, whether the change includes unauthorized content of the content type or includes the data element that is not allowed for the social media account;

in response to a determination that the change to the social media account is not authorized based on an identification of the deviation from the normative base line, removing unauthorized content from the social media account;

requesting approval of the change by generating and sending a notification through an electronic communication to at least one system administrator; and

responsive to the change to the social media account not being approved by the at least one system administrator, reverting the social media account back to an original authorized setting in the normative base line.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the metadata gathered through the API call includes at least one of account settings, profile images, configuration information, a list of users with administrative rights, a list of detailed permissions for each user in the list of users, addresses, URLs, display names, or identifiers.

15. The system of claim 13 , the account entity data includes Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) user directories.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the electronic communication comprises email, text message, instant message, or message on the social media account.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the data set further includes machine learning algorithms and data including machine learning training sets that were prepared using aspects of previous patterns of content posted to the social media account.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

responsive to the change to the social media account being approved by the at least one system administrator, updating the normative base line with the change to the social media account to authorize subsequent changes to the social media account, the subsequent changes having same type as the change to the social media account.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the snapshot of the metadata of the social media account includes a list of administrative users of the social media account and wherein the stored instructions are further translatable by the processor for:

monitoring changes to the list of administrative users of the social media account on the social network;

comparing the list of administrative users of the social media account on the social network to a list of permissible administrative users in the normative base line; and

removing any administrative users of the social media account on the social network that are not included in the list of permissible administrative users in the normative base line.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the social media account is accessible by a group of subscribers.