Message distribution control
View Patent ↗A method of controlling distribution of content in a message sent by a message sender comprises receiving an indication from the message sender that the message is to be protected, identifying content in the message to be protected, adding the identified content to a database of protected content, and determining whether subsequently received content in a subsequently received message is associated with the identified content. A system for controlling distribution of content in a message sent by a message sender comprises a processor configured to receive an indication from the message sender that the message is to be protected, identify content in the message to be protected, add the identified content to a database of protected content, and determine whether subsequently received content in a subsequently received message is associated with the identified content.
1. A method of controlling redistribution of content in a message sent by a message sender via a computing device, the method comprising:
receiving over a network from a mail client a first message created by a first message sender, the first message received at the computing device and including:
a text string manually marked by the first message sender as confidential content upon which a distribution limit should be placed, and
the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender identifying one or more users authorized to recirculate the confidential content;
receiving over the network from a mail client a second message subsequent to the first message, the second message received at the computing device, wherein the second message is distinct from the first message and created by a second message sender who is distinct from the first message sender, and the second message includes an identification of the second message sender; and
executing instructions stored in memory of the computing device, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor of the computing device:
adds the text string manually marked by the first message sender and the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender to a database stored in memory,
examines the second message for the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, wherein examining the second message includes extracting a suspicious text string from the second message and comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender,
examines the second message for the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content, wherein the examination occurs when the suspicious text string matches the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, and wherein examining the second message includes extracting the identification of the second message sender and comparing the identification of the second message sender to the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content, and
transmits the second message over the network when the identification of the second message sender matches one of the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as users authorized to recirculate the confidential content.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspicious text string is a mutate form of the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second messages are email messages.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message further includes an indication manually set by the first message sender marking the entire first message as confidential content upon which the distribution limit should be placed.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor of the computing device further quarantines the second message when the identification of the second message sender does not match the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor of the computing device further transmits a portion of the second message that does not include the suspicious text string when the identification of the second message sender does not match the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor of the computing device further sends a notification to the second message sender when the suspicious text string matches the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor of the computing device further permits the second message to be transmitted to both authorized and unauthorized recipients when the suspicious text string does not match the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes determining an edit distance between a sub string of the suspicious text string and the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes comparing the suspicious text string to a sub string that is semantically similar to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes comparing a signature of the suspicious text string with the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes identifying a distinguishing property in the suspicious text string.
13. A computing device that controls redistribution of content in a message sent by a message sender, the computing device comprising:
a processor;
a network interface communicatively coupled to a communications network; and
memory storing a database and executable instructions, whereby execution of the instructions by the processor:
receives over the network interface from a mail client a first message created by a first message sender, the first message including:
a text string manually marked by the first message sender as confidential content upon which a distribution limit should be placed, and
the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender identifying one or more users authorized to recirculate the confidential content,
receives over the network from a mail client a second message subsequent to the first message, wherein the second message is distinct from the first message and created by a second message sender who is distinct from the first message sender, and the second message includes an identification of the second message sender,
adds the text string manually marked by the first message sender and the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender to a database stored in memory,
examines the second message for the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, wherein examining the second message includes extracting a suspicious text string from the second message and comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender,
examines the second message for the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content, wherein the examination occurs when the suspicious text string matches the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, and wherein examining the second message includes extracting the identification of the second message sender and comparing the identification of the second message sender to the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content, and
transmits the second message over the network when the identification of the second message sender matches one of the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as users authorized to recirculate the confidential content.
14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the suspicious text string is a mutated form of the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
15. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes determining an edit distance between a substring of the suspicious text string and the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
16. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes comparing the suspicious text string to a substring that is semantically similar to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer processor to perform a method for controlling redistribution of content in a message sent by a message sender, the method comprising:
receiving over a network from a mail client a first message created by a first message sender, the first message including:
a text string manually marked by the first message sender as confidential content upon which a distribution limit should be placed, and
the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender identifying one or more users authorized to recirculate the confidential content;
receiving over the network from a mail client a second message subsequent to the first message, wherein the second message is distinct from the first message and created by a second message sender who is distinct from the first message sender, and the second message includes an identification of the second message sender;
adding the text string manually marked by the first message sender and the distribution limit manually set by the first message sender to a database stored in memory;
examining the second message for the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, wherein examining the second message includes extracting a suspicious text string from the second message and comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender;
examining the second message for the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content, wherein the examination occurs when the suspicious text string matches the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender, and wherein examining the second message includes extracting the identification of the second message sender and comparing the identification of the second message sender to the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content; and
transmitting the second message over the network when the identification of the second message sender matches one of the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as users authorized to recirculate the confidential content.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes determining an edit distance between a substring of the suspicious text string and the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein comparing the suspicious text string to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender includes comparing the suspicious text string to a substring that is semantically similar to the stored text string manually marked by the first message sender.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further includes quarantining the second message when the identification of the second message sender does not match the one or more users identified in the stored distribution limit manually set by the first message sender as authorized to recirculate the confidential content.