IP Library Granted Patent US 10,984,122
Granted Patent B2
US 10,984,122 · App. 16/165,274 · Granted Apr 20, 2021

Enterprise document classification

Inventor: Andrew J. Thomas (Oxfordshire, GB)
Assignee: Sophos Limited
G06F21/6218G06F16/137G06F16/285G06F16/93G06F21/64G06N20/00H04L9/3265H04L41/20H04L41/22H04L63/08H04L63/0838H04L63/101H04L63/102H04L63/1408H04L63/1416H04L63/1425H04L63/1433H04L63/1441H04L63/20H04L63/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,984,122
App. No.
16/165,274
Granted
Apr 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A collection of documents or other files and the like within an enterprise network are labelled according to an enterprise document classification scheme, and then a recognition model such as a neural network or other machine learning model can be used to automatically label other files throughout the enterprise network. In this manner, documents and the like throughout an enterprise can be automatically identified and managed according to features such as confidentiality, sensitivity, security risk, business value, and so forth.

Claims (38)

1. A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

selecting a plurality of documents stored in an enterprise network;

automatically labeling each of the plurality of documents with a category for sensitivity according to an organization role associated with a file location of the document in the enterprise network, an organization role of a user in an access control list associated with the document, and content of each of the plurality of documents, thereby providing a labeled data set;

configuring a recognition model to identify the category for sensitivity for a new document based on the plurality of documents in the labeled data set;

locating other documents in the enterprise network different than the plurality of documents;

associating a label with each of the other documents based upon the category for sensitivity identified by the recognition model for each of the other documents; and

applying an enterprise policy for sensitivity to each of the other documents based upon the category for sensitivity identified in the label, wherein the enterprise policy controls at least one of document access and document movement.

2. A method comprising:

selecting a plurality of files stored in an enterprise network;

labeling each of the plurality of files according to a category selected from two or more predetermined categories, thereby providing a labeled data set, each of the two or more predetermined categories identify at least one of: an organizational role associated with a folder where a corresponding one of the plurality of files is located, a corresponding organizational role of one or more users associated with each of the plurality of files, a list of permissions for use of the corresponding one of the plurality of files, and content of the corresponding one file of the plurality of files;

configuring a recognition model to identify the category from one of the two or more predetermined categories for a new file based on the plurality of files in the labeled data set;

locating other files in the enterprise network different than the plurality of files;

associating a label with each of the other files based upon the category selected for each of the other files from the two or more predetermined categories by the recognition model; and

applying an enterprise policy to each of the other files based upon the category identified in the label.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling access to the other files based on at least in part on the category identified in the label.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising taking action to prevent distribution of the other files based at least in part on the category identified in the label.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein labeling each of the plurality of files includes automatically labeling each of the plurality of files based upon a file location.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein labeling each of the plurality of files includes automatically labeling each of the plurality of files with an organizational role associated with a folder where a corresponding one of the plurality files is located.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein labeling each of the plurality of files includes automatically labeling each of the plurality of files based upon a corresponding organizational role of one or more users associated with each of the plurality of files.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein labeling each of the plurality of files includes automatically labeling each of the plurality of files based on permissions in a corresponding access control list.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein labeling each of the plurality of files includes manually labeling each of the plurality of files.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the two or more predetermined categories identify at least one of confidentiality, sensitivity, and business value.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the two or more predetermined categories identify permissions for use of the plurality of files.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the two or more predetermined categories identify organizational roles associated with the plurality of files.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of files include one or more documents.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of files include one or more spreadsheets, word processing documents, or presentations.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of files include one or more executables.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein locating other files includes locally searching for files with a local search agent on one or more endpoints within the enterprise network.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein locating other files includes searching for files in a cloud storage facility for the enterprise network.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein the enterprise policy controls at least one of file access and file movement.

19. The method of claim 2 wherein the two or more predetermined categories include two or more organizational roles.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the enterprise policy includes one or more categories of authorized users associated with each of the two or more organizational roles.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the enterprise policy includes an access control list associated with each of the two or more organizational roles.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the enterprise policy includes one or more use restrictions associated with at least one of the one or more organizational roles.

23. A system comprising:

a training system configured to receive a user selection of a plurality of files stored in an enterprise network, to automatically label each of the plurality of files according to a category selected from two or more predetermined categories, thereby providing a labeled data set, each of the two or more predetermined categories identifying at least one of: an organizational role associated with a folder where a corresponding one of the plurality of files is located, a corresponding organizational role of one or more users associated with each of the plurality of files, a list of permissions for use of the corresponding one of the plurality of files, and content of the corresponding one file of the plurality of files, and to train a recognition model with machine learning to identify the category for a new file based on the plurality of files in the labeled data set;

a labeling system configured to locate other files in the enterprise network different than the plurality of files, and to associate a label with each of the other files based upon the category selected by the recognition model for each of the other files from the two or more predetermined categories; and

a threat management facility configured to apply an enterprise policy for the enterprise network to each of the other files based on the category identified in the label.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT R/F 053476/0681 Recorded Mar 9, 2021
From: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056469/0815 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT FIRST LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053124/0350 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SECOND LIEN Recorded Jul 6, 2020
From: SOPHOS LIMITED
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053476/0681 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2019
From: THOMAS, ANDREW J.
To: SOPHOS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 048990/0841 →
Cited By (16)
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