IP Library Granted Patent US 10,511,496
Granted Patent B2
US 10,511,496 · App. 15/420,838 · Granted Dec 17, 2019

Method, system and computer program product for interception, quarantine and moderation of internal communications of uncontrolled systems

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,511,496
App. No.
15/420,838
Granted
Dec 17, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein may intercept, quarantine, and moderate communications internal to an uncontrolled system. An example of an uncontrolled system may be a web application associated with a social networking site. In accessing the social networking site, a user may type in a message. An instance of the uncontrolled system running on the user's device may prepare a request containing the message. Some embodiment disclosed herein may determine that the message is subject to moderation, intercept the request, and place the message in a queue. This determination may be based on the destination of the request as well the type of the message. Some embodiments may reconstruct the original request for resubmission. If the session is expired, some embodiments may log in for the user and resubmit the reconstructed request. Some embodiments may wait for the next time the user logs in to resubmit the reconstructed request.

Claims (45)

1. A method for monitoring network traffic on a computer network, comprising:

monitoring computer network traffic between a user device associated with a user in a computing environment and an uncontrolled application associated with a site operating on the Internet, wherein the network traffic includes a communication generated by code running on the user device and the communication contains a message, the monitoring performed by a monitoring system comprising at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor;

determining, based at least on a type of the message, whether the communication is subject to interception, the determining comprising determining whether the type of the message is associated with a universal resource locator (URL) address that designates an uncontrolled system and determining whether the URL address that designates the uncontrolled system is identified as a destination of the communication;

stopping the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being subject to interception and not stopping the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being not subject to interception;

sending the communication to a moderation system, the moderation system comprising at least at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor, the moderation system residing outside of the computing environment and having no control over the uncontrolled application or the site operating on the Internet;

wherein the moderation system,

determines whether the communication is approved for submission to the site operating on the Internet;

reconstructing the communication if the communication is approved by the moderation system for submission; and

submitting the communication that has been reconstructed subsequent to approval of the communication by the moderation system.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the moderation system is configured for inspecting or parsing the communication generated by the piece of code running on the user device or by the uncontrolled application associated with the site operating on the Internet and determining, based on at least one factor, how the communication is to be automatically moderated.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one factor comprises at least one of a company policy, business rule, feature type, keyword, pattern, user privilege, or user role.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pattern comprises at least a pattern of interest representing a number associated with the user.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the feature type comprises at least a broadcast type, an action type, a profile type, or a directed message type, specific to the site operating on the Internet.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises a hypertext transfer protocol request.

7. A network traffic monitoring system, comprising:

a monitoring system comprising at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor, for monitoring computer network traffic between a user device associated with a user in a computing environment and an uncontrolled application associated with a site operating on the Internet, wherein the network traffic includes a communication generated by code running on the user device or by the uncontrolled application and the communication contains a message;

a moderation system comprising at least at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor, the moderation system residing outside of the computing environment and having no control over the uncontrolled application or the site operating on the Internet,

wherein the monitoring system,

determines, based at least on a type of the message, whether the communication is subject to interception by determining whether the type of the message is associated with a universal resource locator (URL) address that designates an uncontrolled system and determining whether the URL address that designates the uncontrolled system is identified as a destination of the communication;

stops the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being subject to interception and does not stop the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being not subject to interception; and

sends the communication to the moderation system;

wherein the moderation system,

determines whether the communication is approved for submission to the site operating on the Internet;

wherein the monitoring system,

reconstructs the communication if the communication is approved by the moderation system for submission; and

submits the communication that has been reconstructed subsequent to approval of the communication by the moderation system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the moderation system is configured for inspecting or parsing the communication generated by the piece of code running on the user device or by the uncontrolled application associated with the site operating on the Internet and determining, based on at least one factor, how the communication is to be automatically moderated.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one factor comprises at least one of a company policy, business rule, feature type, keyword, pattern, user privilege, or user role.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pattern comprises at least a pattern of interest representing a number associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the feature type comprises at least a broadcast type, an action type, a profile type, or a directed message type, specific to the site operating on the Internet.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the communication comprises a hypertext transfer protocol request.

13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a monitoring system comprising at least one processor to perform:

monitoring computer network traffic between a user device associated with a user in a computing environment and an uncontrolled application associated with a site operating on the Internet, wherein the network traffic includes a communication generated by code running on the user device or by the uncontrolled application and the communication contains a message;

determining, based at least on a type of the message, whether the communication is subject to interception, the determining comprising determining whether the type of the message is associated with a universal resource locator (URL) address that designates an uncontrolled system and determining whether the URL address that designates the uncontrolled system is identified as a destination of the communication;

stopping the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being subject to interception and not stopping the communication when the communication is determined by the monitoring system as being not subject to interception;

sending the communication to a moderation system, the moderation system comprising at least at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor, the moderation system residing outside of the computing environment and having no control over the uncontrolled application or the site operating on the Internet;

wherein the moderation system,

determines whether the communication is approved for submission to the site operating on the Internet;

reconstructing the communication if the communication is approved by the moderation system for submission; and

submitting the communication that has been reconstructed subsequent to approval of the communication by the moderation system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the moderation system is configured for inspecting or parsing the communication generated by the piece of code running on the user device or by the uncontrolled application associated with the site operating on the Internet and determining, based on at least one factor, how the communication is to be automatically moderated.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the at least one factor comprises at least one of a company policy, business rule, feature type, keyword, pattern, user privilege, or user role.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the pattern comprises at least a pattern of interest representing a number associated with the user.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the feature type comprises at least a broadcast type, an action type, a profile type, or a directed message type, specific to the site operating on the Internet.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the communication comprises a hypertext transfer protocol request.

Assignments (6)
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 8, 2025
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073889/0677 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS AGENT
To: PROOFPOINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 066865/0648 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057389/0615 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057389/0642 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2017
From: COOPER, CAMERON BLAIR
To: SOCIALWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 042989/0033 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2017
From: SOCIALWARE, INC.
To: PROOFPOINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 042989/0069 →