System and method for automatic data protection in a computer network
View Patent ↗A method of protecting data items in an organizational computer network, including, defining multiple information profiles for classifying the data item, defining rules for protecting the data item belonging to a specific information profile, classifying the data item according to the defined information profiles, applying a protection method to the data item responsive to the classification and the defined rules, automatically updating the classification of the data item responsive to a change in the content or location of the data item; and automatically transforming the applied protection method, throughout the lifecycle of the data item, responsive to a change in classification or location of the data item, according to the defined rules.
1. A method for operating an architecture that controls access to confidential data by executing one or more data management policies when an attempt to transform the confidential data is detected, the method being performed by a computer system that operates with the architecture, the method comprising:
the computer system assigning one or more information profiles to a data item, wherein the one or more information profiles indicate a sensitivity level for the data item;
the computer system associating a defined set of one or more policies with the data item, wherein the defined set of one or more policies, when executed for the data item by the computer system, control how the data item is accessed, the control being based at least partially on the data item's indicated sensitivity level;
the computer system storing a hash value for the data item, the hash value being usable to identify the data item within the computer system in connection with one or more subsequent access events for that data item;
the computer system identifying an access event for the data item,
the computer system identifying the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, based at least in part on the data item's hash value;
in response to identifying the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, the computer system executing the defined set of policies for the data item to control or limit access to the data item in response to the identified access event; and
the computer system tracking execution of the defined set of policies for the data item by logging protection implementation information to a system log, wherein tracking the execution in the system log includes logging how protections were actually implemented on the data item during the execution of the defined set of policies for the data item.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes sending an alert to an administrator regarding the access event for the data item.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes sending an alert to a specific user or to a group of users regarding the access event for the data item.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes sending an alert to both an administrator and a specific user regarding the access event for the data item.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensitivity level for the data item is selected to be a confidential sensitivity level.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling or limiting access to the data item includes preventing the data item from being accessed without knowledge of a password.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the defined set of policies for the data item includes logging actions to the system log, the logging actions being associated with logging that the defined set of policies were executed.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the defined set of one or more policies with the data item includes performing a scan and identifying a protection method for the data item.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling or limiting access to the data item includes controlling or limiting copy and paste events for the data item.
10. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computer system to operate with an architecture that controls access to confidential data by executing one or more data management policies when an attempt to transform the confidential data is detected, execution of the computer-executable instructions causing the computer system to:
assign, by the computer system, one or more information profiles to a data item, wherein the one or more information profiles indicate a sensitivity level for the data item;
associate, by the computer system, a defined set of one or more policies with the data item, wherein the defined set of one or more policies, when executed for the data item by the computer system, control how the data item is accessed, the control being based at least partially on the data item's indicated sensitivity level;
store, by the computer system, a hash value for the data item, the hash value being usable to identify the data item within the computer system in connection with one or more subsequent access events for that data item;
identify, by the computer system, an access event for the data item,
identify, by the computer system, the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, based at least in part on the data item's hash value;
in response to identifying the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, execute, by the computer system, the defined set of policies for the data item to control or limit access to the data item in response to the identified access event; and
track, by the computer system, execution of the defined set of policies for the data item by logging protection implementation information to a system log, wherein tracking the execution in the system log includes logging how protections were actually implemented on the data item during the execution of the defined set of policies for the data item.
11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to send an alert to an administrator regarding the access event for the data item.
12. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to send an alert to a specific user or to a group of users regarding the access event for the data item.
13. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to send an alert to both an administrator and a specific user regarding the access event for the data item.
14. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the sensitivity level for the data item is selected to be a confidential sensitivity level.
15. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein controlling or limiting access to the data item includes preventing the data item from being accessed without knowledge of a password.
16. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein executing the defined set of policies for the data item includes logging actions associated with executing the defined set of policies to a system log.
17. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein associating the defined set of one or more policies with the data item includes performing a scan and identifying a protection method for the data item.
18. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein controlling or limiting access to the data item includes controlling or limiting copy and paste events for the data item.
19. One or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computer system to cause the computer system to operate with an architecture that controls access to confidential data by executing one or more data management policies when an attempt to transform the confidential data is detected, execution of the computer-executable instructions causing the computer system to:
assign, by the computer system, one or more information profiles to a data item, wherein the one or more information profiles indicate a sensitivity level for the data item;
associate, by the computer system, a defined set of one or more policies with the data item, wherein the defined set of one or more policies, when executed for the data item by the computer system, control how the data item is accessed, the control being based at least partially on the data item's indicated sensitivity level;
store, by the computer system, a hash value for the data item, the hash value being usable to identify the data item within the computer system in connection with one or more subsequent access events for that data item;
identify, by the computer system, an access event for the data item,
identify, by the computer system, the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, based at least in part on the data item's hash value;
in response to identifying the defined set of one or more policies that apply to the data item corresponding to the access event, execute, by the computer system, the defined set of policies for the data item to control or limit access to the data item in response to the identified access event; and
track, by the computer system, execution of the defined set of policies for the data item by logging protection implementation information to a system log, wherein tracking the execution in the system log includes logging how protections were actually implemented on the data item during the execution of the defined set of policies for the data item.
20. The one or more hardware storage devices of claim 19 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to send an alert to both an administrator and a specific user regarding the access event for the data item.
21. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to:
in addition to logging the protection implementation information to the system log, tracking the execution of the defined set of policies for the data item additionally includes providing a notification regarding the tracking.