Information rights management offline file access facility

1. A computer-implemented method for providing secure offline file access utilizing information rights management (IRM), comprising:

storing one or more IRM-protected documents in a secure local storage on a user device;

storing one or more consumption licenses associated with the one or more IRM-protected documents in the secure local storage on the user device, wherein the one or more consumption licenses is required to access one or more IRM-protected documents;

detecting a loss of network connectivity on the user device;

in response to detecting the loss of network connectivity, writing the one or more consumption licenses to an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receiving a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents during the loss of network connectivity;

reading the consumption license from the IRM location in memory; and

enabling access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the consumption license.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

authenticating a user on a user device when the user device has network connectivity;

scanning one or more IRM-protected documents on the user device for embedded user licenses;

transmitting the one or more user licenses to an IRM server, wherein the one or more user licenses are encrypted and compressed into a single data unit;

receiving one or more consumption licenses from the IRM server, wherein each of the one or more consumption licenses corresponds to one document of the one or more IRM-protected documents; and

storing the one or more received consumption licenses in a local storage on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting that network connectivity has been regained on the user device;

deleting the one or more consumption licenses from an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receiving a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents;

transmitting a request for a consumption license to an IRM server;

receiving an updated consumption license from the IRM server; and

enabling access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the updated consumption license.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license is based on an offline access policy for one of a user, a group, or an anonymous user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license provides a lease time for offline access.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license applies to one of a plurality of files or folders.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption licenses is applied to at least one of a specific user or specific computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license provides a set expiration time for access to the IRM-protected document.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license limits actions when the user device is online and offline.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license is associated with offline access through multifactor authentication, wherein the consumption license identifies additional user verification requirements utilizing a device that is external to the user device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumption license is associated with offline multifactor authentication, wherein the consumption license identifies additional user verification requirements utilizing at least one of physiological and behavioral characteristics.

12. A system for providing secure offline file access utilizing information rights management, comprising:

an information rights management (IRM) server comprising a database of IRM-protected documents, and a document access manager for generating one or more consumption licenses for offline file access; and

a user device comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) at least one input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing processor executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method to:

store one or more IRM-protected documents in a secure local storage on a user device;

store the one or more consumption licenses associated with the one or more IRM-protected documents in the secure local storage on the user device, wherein the one or more consumption licenses is required to access one or more IRM-protected documents;

detect a loss of network connectivity on the user device;

in response to detecting the loss of network connectivity, write the one or more consumption licenses to an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receive a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents during the loss of network connectivity;

read the consumption license from the IRM location in memory; and

enable access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the consumption license.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor executable instructions further perform a method comprising:

authenticating a user on a user device when the user device has network connectivity;

scanning one or more IRM-protected documents on the user device for embedded user licenses;

transmitting the one or more user licenses to an IRM server, wherein the one or more user licenses are encrypted and compressed into a single data unit;

receiving one or more consumption licenses from the IRM server, wherein each of the one or more consumption licenses corresponds to one document of the one or more IRM-protected documents; and

storing the one or more received consumption licenses in a local storage on the user device.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor executable instructions further perform a method comprising:

detecting that network connectivity has been regained on the user device;

deleting the one or more consumption licenses from an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receiving a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents;

transmitting a request for a consumption license from an IRM server;

receiving an updated consumption license from the IRM server; and

enabling access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the updated consumption license.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an external user device for user identification when a consumption license is associated with offline access through multifactor authentication, wherein the consumption license identifies additional user verification requirements utilizing the external user device.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the consumption license provides one of a lease time for offline access or a set expiration time for access to the IRM-protected document.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the consumption license is associated with offline multifactor authentication, wherein the consumption license identifies additional user verification requirements utilizing at least one of physiological and behavioral characteristics.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform a method for providing secure offline file access utilizing information rights management (IRM), comprising:

storing one or more IRM-protected documents in a secure local storage on a user device;

storing one or more consumption licenses associated with the one or more IRM-protected documents in the secure local storage on the user device, wherein the one or more consumption licenses is required to access one or more IRM-protected documents;

detecting a loss of network connectivity on the user device;

in response to detecting the loss of network connectivity, writing the one or more consumption licenses to an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receiving a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents during the loss of network connectivity;

reading the consumption license from the IRM location in memory; and

enabling access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the consumption license.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

authenticating a user on a user device when the user device has network connectivity;

scanning one or more IRM-protected documents on the user device for embedded user licenses;

transmitting the one or more user licenses to an IRM server, wherein the one or more user licenses are encrypted and compressed into a single data unit;

receiving one or more consumption licenses from the IRM server, wherein each of the one or more consumption licenses corresponds to one document of the one or more IRM-protected documents; and

storing the one or more consumption licenses in a local storage on the user device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting that network connectivity has been regained on the user device;

deleting the one or more consumption licenses from an IRM location in memory on the user device;

receiving a request to open a document of the one or more IRM-protected documents;

transmitting a request for a consumption license from an IRM server;

receiving an updated consumption license from the IRM server; and

enabling access to the requested IRM-protected document based on the updated consumption license.