Clipboard hardening

1. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause:

upon a software module, executing in a first isolated execution environment, determining that the first isolated execution environment has caused data to the written to a first clipboard maintained by the first isolated execution environment, the software module consulting policy data to determine whether the data should additionally be written to a second clipboard maintained by a second isolated execution environment,

wherein the policy data does not allow one or more types of clipboard objects to be written to the second clipboard even if a particular object of said one or more types of clipboard objects was written to the first clipboard at the initiation of or approval by a user to prevent said user from introducing a potentially hazardous type of object into said second clipboard;

upon the software module being instructed by said policy data that a portion of said data is said potentially hazardous type of object, the software module converting said portion to a simpler format of object which removes or renders insert any malicious code contained in said portion; and

upon the software module determining that the policy data allows the data to be written to the second clipboard, the software module causing the data to be written to the second clipboard, wherein the data written to the second clipboard includes said portion converted to said simpler format of object.

2. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the software module, in consultation with the policy data, verifying said data prior to permitting said data to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

3. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the policy data resides within the second isolated execution environment.

4. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

upon determining that a particular policy defined by the policy data considers separate data transfers to the first clipboard as a single logical unit, the software module causing each of the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard as one logical unit after determining the policy data allows the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard.

5. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the software module consulting the policy data further comprises:

the software module determining whether the policy defined by the policy data permits an object type of data written to a first clipboard to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

6. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein a policy defined by the policy data is dependent upon, at least in part, a level of trust between the first isolated execution environment and the second isolated execution environment.

7. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the policy data permits an otherwise impermissible action if the first isolated execution environment is a host operating system.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed, cause:

upon a software module, executing in a first isolated execution environment, determining that the first isolated execution environment has caused data to be written to a first clipboard maintained by the first isolated execution environment, the software module consulting policy data to determine whether the data should additionally be written to a second clipboard maintained by a second isolated execution environment,

wherein the policy data does not allow one or more types of clipboard objects to be written to the second clipboard even if a particular object of said one or more types of clipboard objects was written to the first clipboard at the initiation of or approval by a user to prevent said user from introducing a potentially hazardous type of object into said second clipboard;

upon the software module being instructed by said policy data that a portion of said data is said potentially hazardous type of object, the software module converting said portion to a simpler format of object which removes or renders insert any malicious code contained in said portion; and

upon the software module determining that the policy data allows the data to be written to the second clipboard, the software module causing the data to be written to the second clipboard, wherein the data written to the second clipboard includes said portion converted to said simpler format of object.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the software module, in consultation with the policy data, verifying said data prior to permitting said data to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the policy data resides within the second isolated execution environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

upon determining that a particular policy defined by the policy data considers separate data transfers to the first clipboard as a single logical unit, the software module causing each of the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard as one logical unit after determining the policy data allows the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the software module consulting the policy data further comprises:

the software module determining whether the policy defined by the policy data permits an object type of data written to a first clipboard to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a policy defined by the policy data is dependent upon, at least in part, a level of trust between the first isolated execution environment and the second isolated execution environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the policy data permits an otherwise impermissible action if the first isolated execution environment is a host operating system.

15. A method performed by one or more processors executing one or more sequences of instructions, comprising:

upon a software module, executing in a first isolated execution environment, determining that the first isolated execution environment has caused data to be written to a first clipboard maintained by the first isolated execution environment, the software module consulting policy data to determine whether the data should additionally be written to a second clipboard maintained by a second isolated execution environment,

wherein the policy data does not allow one or more types of clipboard objects to be written to the second clipboard even if a particular object of said one or more types of clipboard objects was written to the first clipboard at the initiation of or approval by a user to prevent said user from introducing a potentially hazardous type of object into said second clipboard;

upon the software module being instructed by said policy data that a portion of said data is said potentially hazardous type of object, the software module converting said portion to a simpler format of object which removes or renders insert any malicious code contained in said portion; and

upon the software module determining that the policy data allows the data to be written to the second clipboard, the software module causing the data to be written to the second clipboard, wherein the data written to the second clipboard includes said portion converted to said simpler format of object.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the software module, in consultation with the policy data, verifying said data prior to permitting said data to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the policy data resides within the second isolated execution environment.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

upon determining that a particular policy defined by the policy data considers separate data transfers to the first clipboard as a single logical unit, the software module causing each of the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard as one logical unit after determining the policy data allows the separate data transfers to be written to the second clipboard.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the software module consulting the policy data further comprises:

the software module determining whether the policy defined by the policy data permits an object type of data written to a first clipboard to be written to the second clipboard maintained by the second isolated execution environment.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein a policy defined by the policy data is dependent upon, at least in part, a level of trust between the first isolated execution environment and the second isolated execution environment.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the policy data permits an otherwise impermissible action if the first isolated execution environment is a host operating system.